


As it is Written

by opalescent effervescence (thefirenationprincess)



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Transformers - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: AU where Transformers and Marvel are one universe, Alexandra Howlett Stark, Allspark, Asgard, Holoforms (Transformers), Lex Stark, Lex has a crush on Natasha because WHO DOESN'T, Logan Needs A Hug, Loki (Marvel) is Not Amused, Major Original Character(s), Mikaela Banes is super gay guys, Multi, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Pre-Iron Man 1, Primus is God, The Nine Realms, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Warning: Loki, allspark ofc, mutant shit, transformers tropes galore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-01-20 00:59:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12421740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefirenationprincess/pseuds/opalescent%20effervescence
Summary: "As it is written, so shall it be."Lex is Tony Stark's younger sister who runs away from home at 18 and joins the army. Now, at 22, she gets deployed to a certain SOCCENT base where things get very weird, very fast. Follow her as she weaves her way through the Transformers and Marvel universes, chasing a destiny that was written in the stars long, long ago.





	1. Blackout

**Author's Note:**

> This story is slow-going and in progress. I'm looking for a beta or two if anyone is interested. Also posted on FF.net and Wattpad. Please leave lots of comments and let me know what you think!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hot Qatari desert, a mutant who heals her friend and a giant homicidal robot. Just another day at SOCCENT base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for this chapter include strong language, violence, brief mentions of mental/emotional abuse, and Decepticons.

****__****__**Qatar - The Middle East **  
**May 3rd, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

"What about you, Mama?"

Lex jerked slightly as the sound of her nickname jerked her out of her thoughts. She'd been bent over, roughly shaking the sand out of her curls, letting the tiny pebbles fall onto the floor of the carrier. Her fingers stilled on her scalp. She hadn't been paying attention to the conversation going on around her - something about Spanish and grilled alligator? - and she looked up to meet the eyes of her unit. She noted that it was Epps that spoke and directed her question at him.

"What about me?"

It was Fig who answered. "Do you have something special to go home to? A kid, a boyfriend?"

"A girlfriend?" Donnelly added, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Everyone seemed a bit more interested then, their ears perking up.

Lex rolled her eyes. _Men._

"No, no and no," she answered before returning to the task of ridding her hair of sand. The men groaned in defeat. _Foiled again_ , she joked mentally. They'd been trying for months to get her to open up about her personal life. Lex didn't see what the big deal was; in order to talk about her personal life, there'd have to be one to talk about in the first place.

Thoughts of hazel eyes and tousled brown hair crossed her mind and she sighed. Once upon a time, she did have something to go home to. Though she tried her best not to, she missed her brother. She hadn't seen him in nearly five years; not since she ran away on her eighteenth birthday to join the army. She missed him more than she ever thought she would, more than she thought she could. He was the last living relative she had; of course she missed him. No matter what, he was still her brother. Lex sighed. She really needed a cigarette.

Her unit went back to chatting amongst themselves, but Captain Lennox nudged her shoulder with his own. His face was dirty due to four weeks without a shower, but there was kindness in his brown eyes, the type of kindness that she hadn't seen in anyone but these few men that made up her unit. "Hey kid, I know it's not much, and I know it won't replace whatever family you once had, but Sarah and I would love to have you over at the farm any time."

Lex felt a familiar warmth in her chest. She'd only known these men for a few months, but they were already nestled quite close to her heart. They treated her like she was their own kin; like she was their sister or neice or daughter, and they always looked out for her in a way that was almost foreign to the twenty-two year old. Her smile was soft as she looked up.

"Thanks, Lennox. That really means a lot."

He grinned. "Let it be known that I always take care of my men," he said in a teasing voice. Lex punched his shoulder.

"I'm not a man," she grumbled playfully. Lennox winced and rubbed the spot where she hit him.

"You sure punch like one," he complained.

The men laughed, and Lex smiled, and all was well.

 

As the carrier touched down, Lex breathed in a sigh of relief. The last month had been brutal, their mission tough and the conditions tougher. Every one of them had to be on high alert every moment; it was nice to finally be able to relax, to breathe. They threw their gear onto the trucks waiting for them and sped off through the dry Qatari desert and to their base.

"That shower looks so good," Lex nearly purred as they jumped off the trucks and took in their home for the past eight months. Epps made a noise of agreement, and after a look shared between them they moved towards the makeshift shower stalls, dropping the outer layer of their uniforms along the way.

"Out of the way peasants," Epps said, pulling a naked man out of one of the stalls and pushing Lex into it. She laughed and the man walked away, grumbling. Thanking Epps, she stripped down to nothing and let the spray run over her.

She could feel every man's eyes rove over her bare skin. It didn't bother her; it was just skin. Lex wasn't shy, and even if she didn't trust these men with her life, she could take care of herself. The day they did more than just look would be the day they regretted ever being born.

Lathering the soap in her curls, she watched the dirt and grime rinse off of her tan skin and onto the wet sand below. As her hair stuck to her back, the ends tickling her waist, she wondered for the nth time whether she should just chop it all off; the dark curls were barely manageable, wild and free-spirited - kind of like Lex herself, which was why she could never bring herself to cut them. They were her one freedom, her one reminder of where she came from - of her true self. Besides, she inherited them from her mother - Maria's hair was wild, with dark, silky curls going in every direction. She wanted to have at least this to remember her by.

"Mind passing the soap, Mama?" Epps asked from the stall next to her. As he reached his hand out absently to grab the bar from her, she saw a deep gash running along the entire length of his forearm, the blood coagulated to naturally staunch the flow. Her stomach dropped at seeing one of her important people hurt. While it could easily be bandaged and wrapped up by the medics, the risk of infection out here was so much worse than the risk back in the States, and that wasn't a risk she was willing to take with her friends.

Taking a quick glance around and making sure no one was paying too much attention, she turned in the stall to make sure that her body was blocking anyone's view of Epps' arm. _You better not regret this later_ , she told herself.

"Sure, Epps." Lex brushed her fingers against his as she passed him the bar of soap. Faint golden strands of light danced merrily around his fingers, twisting up his wrist and sinking into his forearm, glowing brighter at his wound before disappearing completely.

Heart pounding from adrenaline and breathing heavily, Lex put a hand on the wall of the stall to keep from stumbling. She quickly rinsed off and turned off the shower, drying herself with a towel before slipping on a tank top and some clean fatigues and running another towel through her hair.

"Whoa - I guess this wasn't as deep as I first thought. I won't even have to see the medics now. Sweet!"

Walking away, Lex smiled softly to herself.

 

She ran her fingers through her damp hair nervously as his face filled the screen, familiar and comforting and reminding her of times she'd tried over and over to forget. He flashed her a brilliant smile at seeing her alive and well, his eyes roving over every detail.

"Hey Curly." His greeting was warm and held none of the accusation or bitterness she'd thought it would.

Lex raised an eyebrow. "I don't think you've called me Curly since I was, what, thirteen?"

He ran a hand over his head, chuckling. "Yeah." His eyes became serious as he studied her, like he was calculating every difference he could see since the last time he saw her. 

"It's... you have no idea how good it is to see you, Tyrannosaurus Lex."

Her face softened and she smiled at the ridiculous nickname that he and her brother had given her when she was a toddler. "I know. It's great to see you too, Rhodey." He'd gotten in contact with her a few years ago, and she made sure to send him updates every now and again - the usual "hey, I'm alive, don't worry" - but this was the first time they'd talked face-to-face in nearly five years.

It was quiet then for a moment, and she knew that he was reminiscing over old times, just like she was. It was hard, remembering things she'd kept under lock and key inside her mind for years and years, but it also felt good - like a weight was slowly being lifted off her shoulders.

"Tony misses you," Rhodey said quietly.

Lex looked up, snapped out of her memories. Once he knew he had her attention, Rhodey continued.

"It's like he on autopilot. He parties for days on end, he charms the pants off the most beautiful women on the planet, and he drinks himself to sleep nearly every night." 

Something bitter and familiar twisted inside of Lex at her friend's words. "He did that before I left," she said, unable to keep her disdain out of her voice.

"But before you left I was never worried he would _kill himself_ doing it," Rhodey snapped. "He couldn't do that before because he had you. I know he treated you like shit, and he blamed you for a lot of crap that in no way was your fault, but you kept him tethered to Earth, Lex, and once you left he felt that everything important he had left in the world left too."

A small bubble of guilt welled in her gut. "What was I supposed to do, Rhodey?" she asked quietly, not even attempting to keep her voice steady anymore. "Howard may not have been my biological father, but he was still my dad. Even though Maria cheated on him and had me as the result, he still cared for me as if I were his own. Tony wasn't the only one who lost his parents that night, but he acted as if he was and that everything was my fault. He -" She cut herself off by taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. When she opened them again, the screen that showed her lifelong friend's face was misty and blurred. "I miss him too, more than anything in the world," she whispered.

Rhodey sighed. "All he wants is the chance to make it up to you, Lex. Once your parents died and he found out the truth about you, he didn't know how to handle it. I know it doesn't excuse his behavior, and so does he, but he regrets everything."

She smiled, feeling hope flutter in her chest for the first time in years. "You really think so?"

"I know how much you two adored each other before the accident," he said with a fond smile. "It was sickening, really, how much he doted on you and the hero-worship thing you had going on. I know you two could be that close again if you give him the chance."

The small flutter in her chest grew into a wave, hope and relief crashing inside of her over and over. "Thank you, Rhodey."

His smile softened. "Anytime." They were silent for a moment before he got a mischievous glint in his eye. "So, Tyrannosaurus Lex, how's the job?" He chuckled. "You were such a rebellious little shit, you know that? I don't know what made you decide to join the military with how much disdain you have for any type of authority."

Lex mock glared at him, folding her arms. "It's a right pain in the ass, Rhodey, you have no idea. I haven't had a cigarette in eight _God-damned months_."

His eyes narrowed as he glared at her. "Alexandra, smoking is a filthy habit."

She opened her mouth to retort when suddenly the screen started to flicker. Lex frowned, tapping the camera. "Rhodey? What's going on?"

His face was coming and going. "I don't - interference - your end -"

And then the screen went blank. "Rhodey!" she exclaimed, but all she could see was her own reflection staring back at her in the blank computer screen: long, wildly curly dark hair, a smattering of freckles across a sun-tanned nose and dark, tired, almond-shaped eyes. She cursed softly before running a shaky hand through her still-drying curls. 

She'd gone through a lot of emotions in such a short period of time, and she felt drained, but also relieved - like the massive weight settled inside her chest was easing up, and she could breathe better.

Lex had a plan. She was too much of a chicken to call Tony now, but when she got back to the states after a month of mental and emotion preparation, she'd contact him. She was tired of running from her past - she wanted to be the strong, capable person her friends thought she was, and the only way to do that was to buck up and face her problems head on.

Standing and exiting the tent, Lex caught Lennox's eyes from the neighboring tent and jogged over to him. "Lennox, did your webcam -"

"Yeah," he said. "I don't know what's going on, but Sarah and Annabelle say hi."

A warmth filled her. She adored her captain's wife, and their daughter was so, so precious. She smiled and was about to reply when she heard a familiar and terrifying sound in the distance. Her widened eyes met Lennox's. "Is that gunfire?" she asked fearfully.

Before he could answer, a deafening **boom** rocked the ground under their feet and they toppled over, catching themselves on some crates stacked outside the tents. What - what could have made such a huge impact? As they recovered, a screaming Epps raced by.

_"We are under attack!"_

Lex and her captain barely shared a glance before they were running to the weapons tent. There were people running everywhere, shouting orders at each other and scrambling to try and defend themselves. Explosives rocked the world around her, everything a blur of color and light and sound. It numbed her, erasing any previous thoughts of Tony and Rhodey and home.

" _Stark_ , let's go!" Lennox shouted, grabbing her by the elbow and pulling her along. She shook herself and grabbed a rifle on the way out, pulling her arm out of Lennox's grip. 

As they ran, the ground shook underneath them, and it took all she had to keep one foot in front of the other and not stumble and fall. The noise was deafening; the sound of metal crunching and men screaming filled her ears and reverberated in her mind, sending her further and further into a primal mode of survival.

They were soon joined by the other members of their team as they ran, Epps falling into place on Lennox's other side. A completely crushed tank rolled by them, narrowly missing their group by feet. Lex felt the heat of the flames licking at its metal skin as it passed by and she shuddered.

Without even thinking about it, she scooped up Mahfouz as they passed the terrified young Qatari boy and swung him onto her back, holding the back of his knees. His arms immediately went around her neck, holding tight enough that it was hard to breathe. Tanks rained down around them, and Lex wondered just what the hell could be throwing _fucking tanks_ at them.

Her question was answered as they stopped to load up in one of the tanks, and she heard Epps' yell a few feet away. Looking up, everything inside of her went cold as she saw an impossibly large metal death machine standing over her friend.

" _Epps!_ " she screamed desperately. Only the weight of Mahfouz's arms around her kept her from sprinting to help her friend. He wasn't moving, oh God, why wasn't he moving?

But then he was, he was running, and Fig shot a grenade at the thing to distract it. As Epps slid in the dirt and landed next to her, she let out a strangled breath of relief.

"Don't scare me like that again!" she half-screamed as she ran for the tank. She helped Mahfouz climb inside before doing so herself, Epps and finally Lennox following closely behind. As soon as everyone was sealed tightly into the tank and it was rumbling quickly away from the mass murder sight they'd just come from, Lex reached out blindly and grabbed the first thing she could on Epps. She needed to make sure he was still here, still alive. She couldn't afford to lose more precious people. He gripped her forearm just as she gripped his, and she distantly noticed it was the one she'd healed earlier, the dark skin flawless and unbroken under the dirt that covered it.

"Sorry for scaring you earlier, Mama," he said in between heavy pants. Lex nodded, not trusting her voice.

She felt something heavy settle inside her chest as Lennox did a head count and determined that everyone on their team made it. Her important people were safe. Mahfouz buried his face into her side and she pressed her forehead into his hair, holding him tightly to her and trying to erase the images of glowing red eyes and the crushed bodies of her brothers, her fellow soldiers from her mind.


	2. Battleborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony hears the news, Lex feels guilty, shit hits the fan and our heroine's mutation is revealed to her best friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for this chapter include violence, strong language, a tiddle bit of blood/gore (not descriptive though, don't worry), death, and Epps' mother being a crack whore.

****__****__**Tony Stark's Coastal Home - Malibu **  
**May 4th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

"Tony," Rhodey shouted over the roar of the music, "You really need to -"

"May the 4th be with you, everyone!" Tony said into the microphone. The crowd cheered, raising their glasses to the billionaire as he stood on a balcony overlooking the massive room that had been transformed just for this day.

Tony Stark's May 4th parties were legendary, and this was the fifth annual one, so it was even more spectacular than the past four years. Music vibrated through every surface, laser lights cut sharply through the mist created by the state-of-the-art fog machines he'd commissioned specifically for tonight. The man himself was pissed - so completely drunk that he wouldn't remember a thing in the morning.

It was exactly as he wanted it.

Those that knew the truth behind the party did not participate, but neither did they begrudge him his means of forgetting. It was hard on all of them, but it always hit Tony hardest of all.

Rhodey sighed. He really hated seeing his best friend like this, but while Tony was a certified genius, his coping skills left much to be desired.

He could only imagine how bad it would get after today.

The stinging in the back of his eyes made him blink and swipe a hand over his face. How could this have happened? He talked to her _yesterday_. She was healthy and beautiful and _alive_. And now...

He clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, his fingers digging into the perfectly pressed blazer. " _Anthony_."

Tony paused in his drunken perusal of the room, the smile slipping off his face as he regarded his best friend warily.

"Okay."

It was easy to slip away. Everyone was too busy enjoying themselves to notice as they exited the room, and those that did simply waved or raised their glass in toast to the host of this crazy party. The music got quieter the father from the party room they got. Tony observed the other man, nursing a glass of whiskey. "What's wrong, Rhodey? You look like shit, and you never call me Anthony."

Rhodey snatched the glass away and downed the contents in one long gulp, his face twisting at the burn.

"And you _never_ drink whiskey. What the fuck, Rhodes?"

"Just shut up, Tony."

They reached the main sitting room where Pepper and Obadiah were waiting for them. Pepper immediately grabbed Tony in a hug, holding him tight. "Tony," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Pepper?" he said, bewildered but not complaining as he wrapped his arms around her in return. He looked at his father's old business partner. "Obi, what's going on?"

Obadiah Stane was a man who always knew what he was doing, so seeing the older man look so lost made Tony's stomach sink.

"Jarvis," Rhodey said, voice rough.

The flat screen mounted to the wall turned on and a man Tony recognized as the Secretary of Defense appeared.

"Colonel Rhodes," the man said. Rhodey quickly stood at attention and saluted.

"Secretary Keller, sir."

The man eyed the other occupants of the room before giving a weary sigh, recognizing them. "At ease. I assume you've already heard what happened, Colonel?"

"The basics," Rhodey confirmed, his fists clenching at his sides.

Secretary Keller nodded, his eyes sad as they turned to Tony. "I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Stark."

Tony was beyond confused, but he had a sinking suspicion in his gut. "Pardon my french, Mr. Secretary, but _what the fuck_ is going on?"

Keller straightened. "SOCCENT base in Qatar was attacked yesterday evening by an unknown force, Mr. Stark. We - we can't confirm any survivors."

Qatar. SOCCENT. He _knew_ that name. "But that's where..." he trailed off, and his eyes turned to Rhodey, who's face was turned away from Tony.

His shoulders were shaking.

The world dropped out from underneath Tony, his knees hitting the marble floor with a jarring thud. Pepper was shouting his name, but it sounded distant, like he had cotton stuffed in his ears. The world was a tilting blur - nothing was coming through clearly.

Nothing except for one thought.

_We can't confirm any survivors._

_We can't confirm any survivors._

_We can't confirm any survivors._

" _Lex,_ " he whispered, numbness spreading through his entire being.

His baby sister was dead.

 _And it's all your fault_ , the little voice that had been tormenting him for the past five years whispered gleefully in his mind. Something bitter twisted in his gut, burning the back of his throat. _Today is your baby sister's twenty-third birthday, but because of you, she'll be twenty two forever._

Tony hunched over and vomited all over the pristine marble floors. 

****__****__**Somewhere in the Qatari desert **  
**May 4th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

Sand. The sand never ended. Lex decided that she hated the sand more than anything else in the world. Well, maybe not more than giant murderous machines that slaughtered entire military bases. That was pretty much highest on her shit list at the moment, with this hot, sticky sand being a close second.

They were resting. Lex sat against the side of the tank, her head between her knees as she struggled to come to terms with what had happened. There were so many lives lost - the lives of men she'd lived, breathed and fought with. And she was so small, so defenseless against whatever the hell that thing was.

Something else was gnawing at her as well. She knew that her family developed weapons that had the potential to cause the type of destruction she had witnessed. To see, in person, that type of chaos, seeing so many people killed at the hands of a weapons system that reminded her so much of that which her family created... her disgust and self-loathing were almost overwhelming.

 _And you own half of Stark Industries_ , a little voice whispered in her head. _Technically, any destruction caused by Stark weapons are partly your fault._

 _Shut up_ , she told it fiercely. She ran a hand over her face. _God, I could use a cigarette. Or twenty._

A hand touched her shoulder and she looked up into Lennox's dirty face. He looked weary and tired, fatigued down to the bone, and exactly how she felt inside.

"You gonna be alright, soldier?"

She smiled, a tired, watery smile. "Yeah, Captain. I think I am."

Lex took his hand and he hoisted her to her feet, pulling her tightly to his side for a moment before ruffling her matted and sandy curls and pushing her in the direction of the others.

Epps was looking at the still he'd taken of the machine when they walked up. "I've never seen a weapons system like this before. It looks like something that would walk out of Stark Industries -" Lex felt the guilt pull at her again. "- but this is far too advanced, even for Tony Stark. The thermal shows this weird aura around the exoskeleton like it's cloaked by some kind of invisible force field."

Donnelly snorted. "That's impossible. There's no such thing as invisible force fields except in, like comic book stuff, right?"

"Don't be so sure," Lex muttered under her breath as she recalled overhearing Tony discuss the physics and probability of invisibility with a colleague once. If anyone could create invisible shields, it would be her mad scientist of a brother.

Lennox shot her an indecipherable look before taking the equipment from Epps to take a peek himself.

"Man I don't know," Fig said, fingering the rosary around his neck. "My mama, she had the gift, you know? She saw things. I got the gene too, you know. And that thing that attacked us? I got a feeling it ain't over."

A shiver went down Lex's spine. "Don't _say_ shit like that, Fig."

Epps was a million miles away, not quite looking at the ground - more like looking through it. "When I took that picture, I think it saw me. It looked right at me."

Lex felt another shiver, this one more intense than the last, leaving a trail of goosebumps down her arms. She didn't want to think of the implications that Epps' statement entailed.

Mahfouz's village wasn't far, just a few more miles into the hot Qatari desert. The plan was to contact the Pentagon; after looking at the image herself, Lex agreed that the government needed to know what they were dealing with.

"Alright," Lennox said as they geared up to go. "Let's hit it."

  

The tank died. Lex cursed. When nobody was looking, she tried to fix it with her golden light, but nothing happened. She knew that it wouldn't due to past experiments, but she still had to try.

So they walked. Not long after, a phone tower appeared in the distance. " _Finally_ ," Donnelly said, and Lex felt that statement in her very soul.

They reached the tower and took a short break, shielding their burned and peeling faces from the sun. Epps poured some water over his face, grinning at the feeling. Lex nudged him and he did the same for her. The water wasn't cold, but it still beat the sweat, dirt, and that godforsaken sand plastered all over her body.

"Let's hope this telephone line works," Lennox said as he went to inspect the tower.

A deep rumbling came from under the earth. Lex whipped around at the shouts of "heads up!" and saw the base of the tower snap.

She cursed loudly, grabbing Mahfouz by the waist and sprinting away from the rapidly falling tower. They barely made it before it collapsed completely, shaking the ground enough to make Lex trip and fall face-first into the sand, nearly squashing the Qatari boy underneath her.

Epps and Lennox ran over to check on them. "You're lucky Stark is so small," Lennox teased Mahfouz as he helped him up. "She would have squished you like a bug." The boy giggled and stared at Lex shyly as she let out a string of expletives, Epps quickly popping her left shoulder back into place. Lennox blanched at the language and raced to cover the boy's ears with his hands.

"Your mother is a _fucking_ crack whore," she growled to Epps as he used the majority of his strength to push the joint back into its socket. He chuckled, patting her fondly on the head.

"I'll tell her you said that, Stark."

"What the heck was that?" Donnelly asked, sounding mildly confused.

Lex ignored him and went to stand by Mahfouz, slinging an arm around him and pushing the boy behind her. The other arm was holding her rifle close by her chest, trigger finger poised at the ready. Towers like that didn't just fall down; if severe wind and sand storms couldn't knock it down, then something else was at play here.

A sudden yell from Epps had everyone springing into action. Something metal and sharp sprouted from the ground and everyone aimed their rifles, shooting at it. It thrashed about, the bullets not seeming to do any sort of damage whatsoever.

Then, as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared.

"Whoa, motherfucker!"

 _Me too, Epps_ , Lex thought absently, mind whirling a million miles an hour. Both hands were now on her rifle, Mahfouz clutching at her waist from behind, his face buried into her back. _Poor kid, he's probably so scared and_ -

In a cacophony of noise and sound, the thing returned, exploding out of the ground and piercing Donnelly through the chest, throwing his body into the air without a second thought. Lex's heart seemed to stop beating.

 _Patrick_.

But then they were running and she pushed Donnelly to the back recesses of her mind where she stored Tony and her parents and everyone who had ever left her. He couldn't hurt her back there - not now at least.

She pulled Mahfouz onto her back and ran like hell towards the village.

Some of the locals were holed up behind the short wall that marked the entrance to the village, firing at the scorpion-like thing chasing them. The soldiers jumped the wall and took cover behind it.

"Fig, Stark, cover the rear! Go! Epps, cover fire! Cover the rear!"

Lex deposited Mahfouz onto the ground next to Lennox and ran with Fig and Epps, head low and rifle held close to her chest. They dove behind a portion of the wall and started firing.

Over the years, she had conditioned the main, thinking part of her brain to turn off in battle. There was no think, there was only do - act and react, duck and cover, shoot and heal. Everything was a blur. Epps and Lennox were screaming on her right, Fig was screaming on her left. Hell, Lex herself was probably screaming; she couldn't really tell anymore.

There were bullets flying everywhere. The thing she was shooting at looked like a giant metal scorpion - one that could shoot bullets and explosives out of its pincers. It would have been cool if those bullets and explosives weren't aimed at her and her friends.

Lex dove behind a portion of wall closer to Lennox and Epps for a better angle. She could hear Epps on the phone with someone - presumably the Pentagon. "We've got an eight man team north of the orange smoke!" he popped a smoke flare and threw it, Lennox following suit. "Attack direction west, you're clear and hot!"

She didn't see the missile until it was too late.

"FIG!"

He didn't hear her, and the explosion sent his body flying.

Lex raced after him, falling to her knees beside his limp body.

"Fig, oh _God_ you look awful. You're going to be okay, though, you hear me? Everything is going to be fine." She worked while she talked, using shaky hands to unstrap the KA-bar from its holster on her outer thigh and sawing hastily through the multiple layers protecting his chest.

"Stark," he croaked, his voice faint and laced with pain. "Un rostro bello es lo ultimo que veo..."

"Fig," Lex said, her voice rising with desperation.

He smiled dreamily up at her, a faraway look in his eyes as more debris rained down around them, the air thick with smoke and dirt. "It's not a bad way to go, don't you think?"

"Shut the fuck up," she snapped, finally exposing his bare chest, nearly emptying the measly contents of her stomach at the sight of the raw and mangled flesh. "You are _not_ dying."

Lex pushed aside any reservations. It didn't matter if her secret was finally discovered - she needed to heal Fig. He was her friend; she knew he had a big family to go home to, the type of family that Lex always wished that she had. She couldn't let him die.

Not when she could save him.

She pressed both hands to his chest, ignoring the feel of twisted flesh and hot blood underneath her palms. Immediately she felt the power inside of her expand and grow, the warmth of it flowing up from her sternum, through her chest, down her arms. Finally the glowing golden strands trailed out of her fingertips and sank into Fig's tan skin, lighting him up like a Christmas tree from the inside out. There must have been a lot of internal damage, Lex thought semi-hysterically. She didn't dare to blink as the golden strands moved underneath his skin like little snakes, watching as the cuts and lacerations healed before her very eyes.

With a final flash of gold, the light disappeared. A wave of fatigue hit her like an armed robot scorpion and she sat back on her haunches, head in her hands, willing the nausea to fade.

"Fig!"

" _Shit_ , Stark, are you all right?"

Lifting her head from her hands, she saw Lennox crouched in front of her, his face dirty and bloody and concerned.

"Help me up," she said weakly. Gently, Lennox wrapped one arm around her waist and slung one of hers around his shoulders, lifting her off the ground and to her feet.

"There should be a chopper here soon that will - "

"Not yet," she said, staring toward the direction of the village. "I have something I need to do first."

Confused, Lennox led her back to the village. He swore quietly to himself and watched with wide, awed eyes as she bent down and touched the first wounded she saw. Her golden light never faltered as she had Lennox walk her around the entire village, healing every injured person they could find.

When the last villager was completely injury free, her knees buckled and Lennox caught her, hoisting her up into his arms.

"You did good, Stark," he said softly, eyes still wide with confusion but just as kind as ever as he carried her towards the others.

"Yeah?" she asked, a small smile on her face. She sighed, closing her eyes and letting the bone-deep exhaustion take over.

"Yeah." Once they reached the others, he looked around at the seven of his soldiers that had made it, something sad and yet extraordinarily proud settling in his chest. "Let's go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fooking hell, guys. so, somehow i didn't save this chapter with all of the updated html and the formatting was a complete fooking mess and i only just now realized like two days later. I'M SO SORRY IF YOU READ THIS CHAPTER BEFORE I FIXED THE FORMATTING. I AM A FAILURE AS A HUMAN BEAN.  
> this html shit is literally killing me. if someone knows a way to format everything without putting in every single fooking paragraph and emphasis tag PLEASE help a friend and let me know!! it takes like twenty minutes to type out all the html and it's just toooo much.  
> anyways friends, leave me a comment and tell me what you thought of this chapter! i'd love some feedback (-:


	3. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex has a tea party in space, Epps and Lennox are the greatest friends in existence, a little backstory is revealed, and, of course, more Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for this chapter include violence, blood, PTSD, strong language and Tony Stark.

****__****__**??? **  
************_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

She is in a dream, she is sure of it.

Her first clue is that she is sitting at a small, low table painted with pink roses - the same one she used for tea parties when she was six. A red and blue pot rests in the middle, and when she tilts it into the small silver teacup in front of her, a glowing blue liquid spills out, its texture thicker than water but thinner than blood. It sloshes lightly inside the small cup, seeming to wink promisingly at her. She sets the teapot back on the table and lifts the cup to her lips, taking a small sip.

The flavor is indescribable. The liquid seems to ignite an inferno inside of her - it soars through her veins, it shoots through her every synapse. She gasps, warmth and familiarity settling somewhere deep inside of her. She does not recognize this liquid, but it tastes like home - like cherry-scented curls and hair-ruffles and ridiculous nicknames. She takes another life-giving sip, sighing dreamily at the feeling.

The second clue is that she is having this tea party in space.

Gravity seems to have no influence here, as the entire setup spins and dips and twirls lazily through clusters of asteroids and she watches entire galaxies roll by, sipping at and refilling the tiny silver cup from the red and blue teapot that never seems to empty. An infinite amount of stars twinkle merrily around her, and she thinks that they are her friends, keeping her company in this vast and unending universe.

She observes a meteor burn by, craning her neck to watch it as it passes by her little tea party. When it is no more than a speck in the distance, she turns back to fill her cup once more, only to find a man sitting in the once-empty chair on the other side of the small round table. She lifts an eyebrow.

"Come here often?" she asks, not questioning how he got there or how another tiny silver teacup appeared on the table, only refilling her own and pouring the strange liquid into the other, pushing it towards him. He smiles, revealing gleaming silver teeth and a small dimple in his left cheek.

"Quite," he replies, taking a sip out of his cup. "It's a rather relaxing atmosphere, no?"

She nods, taking a sip of her own liquid. "What is this stuff?" she asks, the wonder seeping into her voice. He chuckles, the sound echoing in the vast universe around them.

"You'll find out soon enough, little one." He sets his cup down and tilts his head at her, observing her with eyes that perfectly mirror the glowing blue of the liquid they drink. "You have no idea how long I've waited to meet you, Alexandra Howlett Stark."

Dark eyes widen as she stares at him. "I haven't heard my middle name spoken aloud for as long as I can remember," she says quietly before chuckling without humor. "I almost forgot what it was." She shakes her head. "Sorry, but who are you again?"

He takes her hand, and suddenly she feels infinite - like she's on the cusp of something so amazing that it has the power to bring the very universe to its knees. The stars bow, the planets tremble, and the infinite being before her sheds its mask, its true form so blinding and powerful that it rattles her bones and shakes her soul.

" _I am Primus, dear one,_ " it says in her mind, the words reverberating through her entire being. " _And you are the gift I have waited many lifetimes to receive_."

****__****__**Somewhere over the Atlantic **  
**May 6th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

The details of her dream slipped away like a leaf floating on the breeze as Lex woke, head pounding and body aching all over. For a moment she simply lay there with her eyes closed, trying to remember her dream because something inside of her was telling her it was important, but the longer she thought about it, the hazier it got.

Giving it up as a lost cause, dark eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, blinking blearily at a metal ceiling. Where am I? she wondered. How long have I been out?

Lex groaned at the pounding in her head and made to sit up, only to lay back down immediately as stars exploded behind her eyes. " _Whoa_ ," she muttered, bringing a hand up to touch her head dizzily. She froze when she caught sight of her hand.

Blood. Her hand was covered in the substance, so thick it almost looked black. It dripped slowly onto the sheets of the bed she was lying on, soaking through the mattress. Her breath coming in short gasps, she brought up her other hand and saw that it, too was covered in the gruesome substance. Then the smell hit her - sharp and coppery and causing her stomach to turn violently, memories assaulting her senses.

_"It's not a bad way to go, don't you think?"_

Suddenly, she knew who's blood this was.

It was Fig's.

Promptly, Lex leaned over the side of the twin mattress and vomited, Fig's blood leaving dark red smears over everything she touched. 

 

When Stark stumbled out of her room, eyes wide and tears streaming down her face, Lennox was quick to grab her by the waist and lead her into another room, away from the curious and pitying eyes of crew members of the carrier they were on. Epps watched with worried eyes, hurrying to catch up to them.

When he pushed open the door to the room he and Lennox shared, it was worse than he'd thought.

Stark's small, tanned hands were raw and bleeding. Lennox was attempting to restrain her, gripping her wrists to keep her from scratching at her hands more. Her dark eyes were wide and empty, obviously seeing things that they weren't. She was trembling violently, the t-shirt and PT shorts the medic had dressed her in soaked through with sweat.

Epps felt a deep sadness, one that echoed in his chest and settled in his bones. He and Lennox, they'd been at this game a long, long time. They knew the ways that the grief hit them hardest, and the best ways to cope - Epps needed constant, reaffirming touch otherwise he'd slip into a deep, dark depression. Lennox's anxiety flared with bright lights and loud sounds, and if he was too overwhelmed, he'd start uncontrollably panicking. Their families helped, and having each other helped, but there were certain times when nothing helped at all, and they simply needed to go through it in order for it to leave them alone, if only for a while.

Stark, though - she was so young, so _good_. Epps wasn't stupid - he knew she'd been through some shit. When she first joined their unit, barely old enough to buy the cigarettes she burned through like candy, he could tell in the way she tried to isolate herself from everyone else, the defensive tone when she told people to fuck off and _mind their own damn business_. It had taken so, so long for them to slip under her defenses and get her to trust them, but when they did, they found a friend for life.

She didn't sleep for a week after their first mission. She kept seeing the three men she killed - the first men she'd ever killed - over and over. Sometimes she'd have to kill them all over again; other times they were the ones that killed her, and Epps, and Lennox, and Donnelly, and everyone else on the team and she could do nothing to stop it. It took Fig three hours of singing Spanish lullabies and clutching her tightly to his chest for her to finally sleep through the night.

The death, the killing - above all else, it was the guilt that got to Stark, that followed her around for months on end. Epps never knew why she took every death so personally, but after Lennox had told him what happened after the battle with Satan's Scorpion - after he told him what she had done - he thought that he might understand just a little bit better.

So he walked to Lennox's bed and sat behind Stark, grabbing her shoulders and wrapping himself around her, his head resting on her shoulder. Her violent trembling calmed somewhat, though she was still trying to scrub viciously at her hands.

"What do you see, Mama?" Epps said quietly near her ear, trying to be as soothing as possible. She choked on a cross between a sob and a whimper.

"It won't come off," she said, and Epps had never heard her voice so vulnerable before.

"What won't?"

"The blood," she whispered, her warm tears dripping onto Epps' arms.

A moment of silent understanding passed between Epps and Lennox as they shared a look above Stark's head.

And so, for the next few hours, they calmed her down as best they could, Lennox covering her hands with his own and Epps holding her to his chest, whispering reassurances and stroking her curls gently until she finally became exhausted and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. 

****__****__**Fort Nellis Air Force Base - Nevada **  
**May 7th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

This time, when Lex woke, she was in her right state of mind. Epps shifted behind her, his arm around her waist tightening, holding her closer. Sitting on the bunk across the room, Lennox eyed her with relief and worry. She must have been in a right state earlier.

"Where are we?" she asked quietly, looking around the simple two-bed room they were in.

"Fort Nellis," Lennox answered just as quietly. He ran a hand through his hair. "How are you feeling, Stark?"

What a loaded question. How was she feeling? "Tired," she answered honestly. Lennox nodded. He looked just as tired as she felt. It was quiet then, for a moment.

"You know we have to talk about what happened, right?" he asked, and instead of feeling dread at being found out, Lex felt relief.

"Yes," she affirmed. "We do."

After waking Epps and mentally preparing herself, Lex asked the men if they had any specific questions for her.

"You healed Fig."

She noted that it wasn't a question and smiled, nodding.

"How?" Lennox pressed, watching her with intent brown eyes.

Lex found that being blunt was always the best way to go. "Have you guys heard of mutants?"

Lennox's eyebrow furrowed. "I think so. They have powers, right? Like comic book stuff."

_Donnelly snorted. "That's impossible. There's no such thing as invisible force fields except in, like, comic book stuff, right?"_

Lex inwardly winced at the reminder of their dead comrade, pushing the image of his mutilated body down, down, down and nodding at her captain.

Noticing that the two of them had some nasty scabs and scratches on them, Lex grabbed one of each of their hands in both of hers and concentrated on their injuries. Epps let out a string of low curses and Lennox jerked sightly under her touch as her golden light flowed like strands of silk out of her hands and seeped into theirs. Their minor injuries stitched themselves back together before their very eyes.

Lex didn't feel the usual fatigue from healing, and was both pleased and horrified at what that meant. "That's my mutation," she explained. "I heal. I nearly killed myself when I was a kid trying to heal a friend who scraped his knee on the playground, but each time I use it, it gets stronger. _I_ get stronger. Healing you two like I did just now would have winded me not too long ago, but after what happened at the village -"

"Healing all those people expanded your capabilities," Lennox said, his eyes shining.

" _Damn_ ," Epps breathed, looking at Lex like he'd never seen her before.

She shrugged. "Basically. From what I've learned from experimenting, my ability is like a rubber band - it started off super tight, but each time I stretch it out it gets more and more flexible, easier and easier to heal."

Lennox was fascinated. "And you've been able to do this since you were a kid?"

"Since I was born," she said, nodding. "It's a genetic mutation, usually passed down through generations. Each one is different, though there can be variations of similar mutations in families."

"So does that mean others in your family can do something like you can?" Epps asked.

Lex winced, closing her eyes. "Have you heard of Howard Stark?"

The men sat up straighter. "Tony Stark's dad?" Epps asked. "The genius inventor?"

"Everybody knows about the Starks, Stark." Lennox's eyes widened as the words he just spoke registered in his mind. "No _freaking_ way."

She smiled, amused by his reaction. "Tony's my half-brother," she explained. "Howard's wife Maria cheated on him with a mutant twenty two years ago and had me as the result."

"Oh shit," Epps swore, eyes huge.

"Yep," Lex said, popping the 'p.' "Don't go telling people that the co-CEO of Stark Industries is a bastard, though. It's bad for business."

The men chuckled.

"But what are you doing here, Mama?" Epps asked, concern in his eyes. "You own half of _Stark Industries_ ," he said, slightly reverently.

She sighed. "After our parents died and Tony found out the truth, he couldn't stand to be in the same room as me. He was my legal guardian, but raising me was the last thing he wanted to do. I was mostly raised by his best friend Rhodey, but when Rhodey joined the air force when I was fifteen then I was, for the most part, alone. Tony started drinking heavily and was always out at this party or that gala. I nearly flunked out of high school because half the time I was too depressed to do my homework and the other half I fell asleep during class because Tony kept me up at all hours with his late night sexcapades."<

"Holy shit, kid," Lennox managed after a few moment of startled silence.

Lex shrugged. "I'm mostly over it now. I have a plan to contact Tony once all this crazy shit is over with. I've forgiven him for what happened; the past week of near-death experiences have really put things in perspective."

Epps pulled her in for a hug. "That's much more mature than I would have been at your age, Mama."

Lennox patted her on the back. "I'm proud of you, Stark."

Something warm settled in her chest. Even if she hadn't been ready to face Tony, she had two brothers right here. She was safe with them, and nothing would ever change that.

****__****__**Tony Stark's Coastal Home - Malibu **  
**May 7th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

"Sir," Jarvis' voice barely broke through the numb haze he was in. "You have a video call waiting for you from Fort Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada."

"Fuck 'em," Tony replied mechanically, elbow-deep in the inner workings of his custom Rolls Phantom. He quickly grabbed the fat, burning joint from behind his ear and took a massive drag before tucking it back and returning to work.

"Sir, I believe -"

"I said tell them to _fuck off_ , Jarvis," Tony said, the volume bordering on a bellow. _God_ , he wasn't high enough for this.

"Well that's fucking rude."

The joint froze halfway to his lips before falling to the floor, completely forgotten. He slowly turned, feeling like he was underwater. That voice. He hadn't heard it in _so long_ , and he thought he was never going to hear it again. It was different than the last time he heard it - a bit deeper and smoother, pleasant to the ear in a way he'd only experienced from one other person before. There was no mistaking that voice - not when it resembled Maria's so, so much.

He stumbled to the computer, immediately bringing the image to a larger, holographic version so he could see every detail up close. " _Lex_?" he breathed. She grinned, two rows of perfectly straight teeth that contrasted vividly with the deep tan of her skin.

"Hello, brother mine."

His vision swam as tears brimmed behind his eyes. "I'm sorry," he gasped, voice breaking. "I'm so _fucking_ sorry, Alexandra. Oh _God_ , you're supposed to be fucking dead."

She sniffed and wiped at her own tears as they fell down her face. "I probably should be dead," she said with a laugh that bordered on a sob. "But I'm not, Tony, I'm here, and I miss you so much."

"What? No, don't miss me. I'm a fuck up. Jesus, Lex, the things I said to you, the things I _did_ -"

"I forgive you." It was getting hard to understand her with how hard she was crying, but those words sounded so sweet to his ears that it was hard to breathe. He'd been waiting five years to hear them, after all. "Tony, I forgave you a long time ago. I'm a damn coward though, and I'm sorry it took me nearly dying to finally tell you."

"What _happened_ , Lex?"

She shook her head, causing a stray curl to fall into her face. She brushed it aside impatiently, and the familiar action made his heart swell. He'd seen her do that more times than he could count, and Maria used to crinkle her nose in the exact same way whenever it happened to her. "Believe me when I say that it is _beyond_ classified, Tony. I'll see how much I can tell you after I'm debriefed, but after this I don't think we're going to be able to talk for a while. Not until everything is all sorted out."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Jarvis said you're at Fort Nellis? I could make it there in an hour, tops."

" _No_."

The rejection hurt, and he wanted to pout, but his sister's eyes were hard and unyielding.

"The shit I'm involved in right now..." She sighed, and for the first time Tony noticed how tired she looked. "I'm serious, Tony. Some fucked up shit is going on right now, and until it's 100% safe, I don't want you anywhere _near_ me, okay?" The next words seemed difficult for her to get out. "I've already lost people in the past week, people I loved and thought of as brothers. I _can't_ lose you."

Whatever was going on with his baby sister, it scared her shitless, and though he hated it, he knew he couldn't interfere. Not when she asked him not to.

"Okay, Tyrannosaurus Lex."

She smiled. Before she could answer, two men appeared behind her, complete opposites from each other. One was tall and lean with lightly tanned skin and sandy hair, the other short and bulky, all dark skin and hulking muscles.

"This him, Mama?" the shorter one asked. Lex nodded and smiled so big that just looking at it hurt Tony's cheeks.

The two men leaned down so their faces were beside hers.

"Mr. Stark," the lean one said, the authority in his voice automatically making Tony dislike him. "My name is Captain William Lennox. This is Sergeant Robert Epps. We've been working with Lex for years, and she's saved our asses more times than we can even remember." He smiled fondly at her, and she returned the gesture. "She's family."

"And we take care of our family," the one called Epps finished proudly.

"She'll be safe with us until everything here is cleared up," William Lennox continued.

Reluctantly, Tony nodded. He _hated_ authority figures, something that he knew Lex inherited from him, but this man seemed to genuinely care about his sister's well being, so he had to respect him, at least a little bit. "Fine," he said. He looked at Lex. "Just promise to come home in one piece, alright? I thought you were dead once; I am _not_ going through that again."

She smiled, and though it wasn't very reassuring, Tony found that when she smiled like that, everything felt right in the world.

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things i did while writing this chapter:  
> ate chicken noodle soup and choked on every bite because i put waaaay too much pepper in it (just how i like it)  
> changed about 5 times because i kept getting hot then cold then hot again etc  
> played skyrim for bout an hour  
> cried bc html  
> cried on the inside because primus is a precious bean and we must protect him at all costs  
> anyway, let me know what you think friends! i must know!!


	4. Innocence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex makes a friend for life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW include language, violence, and Simmons.

****__****__**Hoover Dam - Nevada **  
**May 8th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

Lex tugged at her collar inconspicuously. It wasn't nearly as hot here as it had been in Qatar, but that didn't stop her from sweating in her gear, the blazing sun beaming down on them as they watched a familiar face walk towards them.

She hadn't been to the Hoover Dam since she was a toddler, and the memory was vague and hazy. She did remember Howard, however, exchanging long and confusing words with people wearing white lab coats. They shot her wary glances, as if expecting a five year old little girl to be some sort of super spy.

Her unit immediately stood at attention as the Secretary of Defense stopped in front of them. "At ease," he dismissed, and they fell into a more relaxed stance. "You did well, soldiers," he said, looking at them proudly. He turned his attention to Lennox and Epps. "Captain; Sergeant; got your intel. Excellent work."

"Thank you sir," Lennox said, ever the professional. "About the gunships...?"

"They're being retrofitted with sabot rounds now. They come for us again, we'll be ready for them... though that won't do us much good if we can't get world communications back up." He looked down the line of soldiers until his eyes reached Lex, his eyes widening. "Little Lex Stark," he said, his lips curving into a smile. "You were just this high," he said, holding his hand out around his hip, "and making your dad and I's lives a living hell the last time I saw you."

Lex sheepishly grinned. "It's nice to see you too, Mr. Keller, sir."

The man waved a hand. "You don't call a man who's changed your diaper more than once 'sir,' Lex. Just John is fine."

She felt her cheeks becoming warm, torn between respecting his wishes and not cringing at the holes she could feel Lennox boring into the side of her head. Opting to say nothing, she just nodded an affirmative.

Snapping back into professional mode, Keller told the soldiers to follow him. As they followed, Epps and Lennox sidled up beside her, each nudging her with an elbow. 

"The Secretary of Defense of the United States of America used to _change your nappies?_ " Epps asked in a low voice, the words sounding strangled as he fought back laughter. 

"' _Little Lex Stark?_ '" Lennox added with a shit-eating grin, nearly choking on the words.

"P-piss off," Lex stammered as her face went beet-red. "He was friends with my dad, okay?"

They continued to snicker quietly under their breaths. Lex ducked out from between them, rolling her eyes. _Jerks_.

She was curious about the two teenagers that seemed to be part of this group. If her team was here due to their encounter with two giant, evil robots, what were they here for? Walking slowly, she allowed them to catch up with her before giving a bright smile.

"Hi, I'm Lex."

They both smiled back. "Sam Witwicky."

"Mikaela Banes," the beautiful girl introduced herself.

"It's really nice to meet you two," Lex said, walking between them. "You guys have any idea what this is about?"

The boy, Sam, looked her dead in the eye. "Aliens."

Her eyebrows raised of their own accord. "Ah."

"What are you here for?" Mikaela asked curiously.

Lex sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh, well, long story short -"

"Stark," Lennox barked, and she jumped, giving her new friends an apologetic smile before jogging up to the rest of her men, automatically falling into place between Epps and Lennox. "You're like a God-damned puppy," he muttered under his breath and she grinned up at him.

"Because I'm so adorable, right?"

"Alright," the man in the black suit said before Lennox could reply. "You've all had contact with NBE's."

"NBE's?" Epps asked.

"Non-Biological Extraterrestrials," the man explained. "Try and keep up with the acronyms."

"Try and keep up with the acronyms," Lex mocked under her breath. Sam snorted from behind her and Lennox nudged her condescendingly, though his lips were twitching suspiciously upward.

 

The men that Lex learned were called Banachek and Simmons led them down, down down, deep into the dam. The farther down they went, the chillier the air became. Lex wasn't complaining; she was still toasty in her uniform, but she did feel bad when Mikaela started shivering.

They soon came upon a dark tunnel, moisture building on the stone and dripping down onto Lex's eyelashes as they passed through.

Epps leaned in to confer with her and Lennox. "Anyone else getting weird vibes from this place?" he said in a low voice. 

Lex nodded emphatically while Lennox's eyes swept around them suspiciously.

"Just stay on your guard," was all her captain said before they all leaned away and continued walking.

"What you're about to see is totally classified," Banachek said once they reached the end of the tunnel. 

_More classified than huge metal scorpions with explosive weapons?_ Lex thought sarcastically. 

Her question was answered as they filed out of the tunnel and a massive metal robot came into view. Flashes of mind-numbing terror and flying tanks ran through her mind. She took a step back, her heart racing. Reaching out, she grabbed Epps' hand in hers and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. She'd almost lost him to one of those things. 

Lennox's eyes were wide and darting from side to side frantically. Lex grabbed one of his hands, too, and he held it like it was a life line. 

"Dear God," Keller breathed in fear and awe. "What is this?" 

"We think when he made his approach over the north pole, our gravitational field screwed him up. He crashed into the ice, probably a few thousand years ago. We shipped him here to this facility in 1934."

"We call him NBE-1," Simmons exclaimed proudly. 

"Sir," Sam interrupted, "I don't mean to correct you on everything you think you know, but that's Megatron."

A wave of displeasure so intense it nearly knocked her off her feet swept through Lex. She staggered in surprise, putting a hand to her head. From behind, Mikaela touched her elbow, concerned. 

"I'm fine," she whispered, but on the inside she was reeling. That feeling most definitely wasn't hers. 

_What just happened?_ she wondered, a bit dazed. 

_I apologize._ Lex nearly yelped at the strong, familiar voice filling her mind. _I let my emotions get carried away for a moment._

_What - who - !?_

His chuckle brought flashes of glowing blue eyes and gleaming silver teeth. _Pay attention, my child. This is important._

She was insane. She had to be. She was hearing voices in her head. She was _batshit crazy_. 

"-looking at the source of the modern age," Simmons was saying, completely ignorant to her inner existential crisis. "Microchip, lasers, space flight, cars - all reverse engineered from studying him - NBE-1." He leaned in close to Sam. "That's what we call him."

"And you didn't think the United States military needed to know you're keeping a hostile alien robot frozen in the basement?" Keller asked indignantly. 

A group of people wearing long white lab coats walked past them, talking in hushed tones and pointing things out on clipboards. Lex froze at the familiar sight. _I've been here before._

This was what Howard was doing when he took Lex out for their bi-monthly father-daughter bonding trip. They were eating ice cream cones, walking down the boardwalk in San Diego when he got the call. 

_"It's super important to Daddy's work, baby. You know I'd never let anything interrupt our time together otherwise."_

"No _freaking_ way," she said, the back of her eyes stinging. 

Everyone turned to her then. "Mama?" Epps asked, slightly alarmed at the tears running down her face. She quickly wiped them away and looked directly at Banachek and Simmons. 

"By any chance, was Howard Stark involved in this in any way?" 

Their eyes widened and they shared a glance. 

"Mr. Stark was one of our leading research and developers on NBE-1," Banachek said, his voice careful. "Without him, we wouldn't have made half the advancements in technology that we have." His eyes narrowed. "But that is severely classified information that a low-ranking soldier like yourself ought to have no business knowing." 

"Soldier," Keller said to her with a wink. "Introduce yourself." 

She smirked. "Alexandra Stark - Sergeant under the command of Captain William Lennox and co-heir of Stark Industries, at your service." Instead of saluting, she bowed low with a dramatic flourish of her hand. 

"No _shit_ ," Sam breathed. "You're Tony Stark's sister?"

Lex straightened and smiled at him. "In the flesh."

"Ms. Stark," Simmons said, his eyes wide, "we would love to have a chat with you pertaining to the -"

"No chance in hell," Lennox cut in, voice stern. "Not until we know what's really going on here."

Lex smiled at her captain gratefully. The two Sector Seven men shared another glance before continuing their "tour." 

She only half-paid attention, too caught up in the extreme synchronicity to really care about what they were saying. What kind of world was this that her father had spent years of his life researching and experimenting on the leader of the things that had attacked her and her men? Did Tony know? If he didn't, then she had to tell him, above-top-secret be damned.

"So why Earth?" Lennox wondered, breaking Lex out of her thoughts. 

"It's the Allspark," Sam said. 

Another strong wave of emotion went through Lex at the name. 

_You know this Allspark?_ she asked the voice in her head. If she really was crazy, then she might as well go along with it. 

_Of course, my child,_ it said. _It is my vassal - my most precious creation._

"They came here looking for some cube-looking thing," Sam continued. "Mr. NBE-1 here, aka Megatron - that's what they call him - is basically the harbinger of death and wants to take the cube and transform human technology to take over the universe."

Simmons watched the kid warily. "You're sure about that?"

_They have the Allspark dear one._

Lex glanced sharply at Simmons. "He knows where it is," she said, accusation clear in her voice. 

Banachek interrupted their glaring contest by walking through the group, his steps confident. 

"Follow me."

 

"I don't like this," Lex murmured lowly to Lennox and Epps as they walked. "They're keeping the evil guy and the weapon he wants to use to enslave us all in the same place." 

"I know," Lennox said. "And I get the feeling that these things aren't the only thing that these whack jobs do experiments on."

Lex tilted her head in confusion. 

"They'd probably have a field day if they knew what you could do, Mama."

Her eyes widened in understanding. " _Oh_."

It was a badly kept secret that organizations around the world were extremely interested in mutants and their abilities. Based off what they knew so far, Lex had no doubt in her mind that Epps was right - Sector Seven would most likely be very, very interested in her abilities. She shuddered. 

"Over my dead body," Lennox swore, and Epps nodded in agreement. The tight knot in Lex's stomach loosened slightly. 

_You have chosen very good friends to stand beside you, dear one. ___

____

Warmth filled her chest. She didn't know why it was important to her that the voice inside her head approved of her friends, but alas, it was a strange world she lived in. 

____

_Thank you._

____

They reached another room, Simmons leading them inside. "You're about to see our crown jewel."

____

They filed into the room which acted as an enclosed balcony, overlooking a massive area and a huge, larger-than-life cube taking up most of the space. Lex suddenly felt lightheaded and the world was fuzzy and far away. 

____

_The Cybertronians were here long before humans, and the cube was here long before that_ , the voice in her mind said.

____

The world around her became darker and darker until she was encompassed in absolute blackness. She closed her eyes tightly, and when she opened them again, she was no longer in the room overlooking the Allspark, but sitting on top of it as it floated purposefully through space, twirling and rotating languidly. 

____

Lex swore loudly and clutched at the surface of the cube, not wanting to fall off, though gravity seemed to ignore its own rules here. _I think I've had a dream similar to this before._

____

"Dear one."

____

She couldn't help the smile that graced her features at the sight of him, the dream breaking through the gates of her mind and flooding her memory. 

____

_"I am Primus, my child, and you are the gift I have waited many lifetimes to receive."_

____

"Primus?" she asked. He nodded, his smile revealing those gleaming silver teeth. "I don't understand what's going on."

____

"You are not meant to," he said as he sat cross-legged in front of her, their knees touching, the tan of her skin contrasting the deep brown of his, a pleasant caramel mocha. "Not yet."

____

"Why am I here?" 

____

"Because you have so much to learn, little one, and so little time to do so. Your role is one that no amount of preparation beforehand can help you with, though I find myself determined to do my best."

____

Lex was utterly and completely lost. "Okay..."

____

He smiled at her once more. "Do not worry. You will understand in time."

____

And then he wove her a story so fantastic and magical that it brought her to tears; the story of Primus creating the Cybertronians in the Allspark's image, then the humans in the Cybertronians' image, and all of the countless other species that littered the infinite galaxies beyond her own. He told her of the Nine Realms of this universe, how he created them to keep a semblance of balance in this chaotic place. He regaled her with the history of the Cybertronians, of his brother Unicron, of their purpose in the world. 

____

It was so much information - too much. She had so many questions. 

____

"Why me?" she blurted out, immediately flushing that she'd interrupted God of all people. 

____

Primus chuckled, the sound soothing her down to her core. "Soon, dear one. Soon all will be revealed."

____

And he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, and the world became an all-encompassing white before everything was black once more.

____

 :

"Stark? Are you all right?" 

____

Lex blinked, dizzily looking around. She was back in the room overlooking the Allspark, and Epps and Lennox were watching her warily. 

____

"Sorry," she said. "Spaced out for a second." 

____

"More like ten minutes," Epps said, unimpressed. 

____

Had it only been ten minutes? It felt like it had been weeks since Primus pulled her out of this room and into - wherever the hell they went.

____

"I'm fine," she said, trying to convince herself more than her friends. 

____

By the looks they gave her, they knew. 

____

 

They caught up to the group just as they were filing into another room. The heavy-duty metal closed and locked, sending a forboding feeling into the group. Deep gashes were carved into the metal of the wall behind the door. 

____

"Did Freddy Kruger make this mess, man?" 

____

"No," the one called Glen said. "Freddy Kruger has four blades man, that's Wolverine!" He made his hands into claws and pawed at the air. 

____

Lex rolled her eyes. "Wolverine's a myth, dude."

____

"That's very funny," Simmons deadpanned as Glen shot Lex a betrayed look. "Anyone have any electronic devices? Key alarm, cell phone?" 

____

"I got a phone."

____

Glen tossed the phone. "Nokias are real nasty," Simmons commented, placing the phone inside the glass box in the middle of the room. 

____

They were all handed protective goggles. The bad feeling in Lex's gut intensified. "I don't like this," she repeated her earlier words to her friends. 

____

"We're able to take the cube's radiation and funnel it into that box," Simmons said, flipping some switches. Suddenly, Lex felt the earth shift, just a little - like there was an earthquake that shifted everything sharply three feet to the left and then back again and everything was just that tiny bit off, just enough for her to bump her hip on the corner of the kitchen table and trip over the foot of the love seat. 

____

The box flashed a blinding light, and then the cell phone was vibrating, and then it was transforming. Lex was instantly drawn to the little guy in the box, though she wasn't sure if it was actually her or Primus - the two had become so merged at this point that she wasn't sure where he began and she ended.

____

The little robot started to attack the glass, tiny bullets and missiles flying everywhere. _It's terrified_ , she realized. 

____

Primus agreed. _Wouldn't you be too, if you suddenly spring into existence not a second ago, fully formed and functioning?_

____

"Like the itty bitty Energizer bunny from hell, huh?" Simmons asked, grin firmly in place. 

____

_He needs comforting, dear one. If he does not calm down..._

____

She pushed past Lennox and Epps and touched the glass with gentle fingers. "Hey little guy," she cooed, taking off the goggles, crouching down to eye-level and smiling softly. The 'bot stopped shooting and cocked its head, staring at her with something akin to confusion. "My name's Lex."

____

"Stark." Lennox's voice held a warning, but she ignored it. She wiggled her finger on the glass, trying to coax the little guy out of his shell, so to speak. He slowly scuttled over to her, touching his own little metal hand to hers. 

____

"Aw," Mikaela cooed. "He likes you."

____

"Yeah, well, he's evil," Simmons said, watching the exchange with obvious disgust in his eyes. 

____

Before she knew what she was doing, Lex had the trigger out of Simmons's hand and had the man bent over a desk, his arm twisted dangerously behind his back. 

____

"Were you about to kill an innocent, sentient being that _you_ brought to life?" she asked in a voice as cold and unyielding as stone.

____

He ignored her. "Get this crazy bitch off me!" he exclaimed. 

____

"Only if you let him go," she retorted. 

____

"What, the NBE? So he can destroy us all? I don't think so, little missy. You may be the daughter of Howard Stark but that doesn't mean shit."

____

Epps and Lennox looped their arms through hers and dragged her off of Simmons, who straightened with a self-important huff. 

____

"Let him go," she repeated. "Who the hell do you think you are? You have _no right_ to play God in these beings' lives, in _anyone's_ life. You can't just _murder_ an innocent being just because you don't understand it!" Lennox and Epps stood tall on either side of her with their arms crossed, obviously agreeing with her words. "Let. Him. _Go_."

____

Primus' approval and pride filled her mind. 

____

With three angry soldiers staring him down, Simmons finally relented with a roll of his eyes. "Whatever. If this thing shoots me I'm suing you for everything you own and then some, Stark."

____

"Just shut up and open the box," Epps snapped. 

____

The little bot, who had started going berserk again when Lex left his sight, calmed down when she came back into view. "Be good, okay?" she pleaded as Simmons opened up the box. The little guy crawled out and immediately scuttled over to Lex, observing her outstretched hand for a moment before climbing up her arm and attaching himself to the back of her neck, peeking out to stare suspiciously at the others. 

____

Lex immediately removed her cover and let her hair down, allowing the little bot to hide inside of her curls. 

____

"That thing is freaky," the blonde Australian commented. 

____

Lex reached back to rub its head with a finger, feeling the bot lean into her touch. The metal was smooth and strangely warm. "He's just terrified and confused; wouldn't you be if you suddenly came into being, fully self-aware and surrounded by creatures bigger than you?" 

____

"Well," Mikaela said, glaring at Simmons. " _I_ think he's cute."

____

Lex sent her a warm smile, one that the girl returned. _She's going to be a good friend too, I can tell_ , she informed Primus. 

____

_Ah_ , he agreed. 

____

Simmons rolled his eyes and suddenly the lights started flickering. The little Nokia bot started wailing in Alien Robot Language before cowering down, trying to sink into Lex's skin. 

____

"I think we've got company," Epps said dryly. 

____

_Understatement of the century, Epps._

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment and let me know what you think, friends!


	5. Roll Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BUMBLEBEE!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warnings** for this chapter include strong language, brief PTSD, bad jokes, violence, and Simmons being an asshat.

****__****__**Sector Seven Headquarters - Nevada **  
**May 8th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

As they rushed out of the Room of Death and through the halls of Sector Seven, Lex fought back nausea. The overall panic and desperation of the situation reminded her of SOCCENT base, and out of the corner of her eye she could see the broken and mangled bodies of her brothers littering the hallways they ran down.

 _Stop_ , she reprimanded herself. _Now isn't the time to be like this. These people need you._

Instead of spiraling further into her panic, Lex concentrated on the pounding of her feet against concrete; on her breathing and keeping it regular; on the presence of the little bot trembling behind her waterfall of curls. His small metal limbs were warm and trembling as they wrapped around the back of her neck, clinging to her.

_Primus?_

There was a brief pause before he answered.

 _You want to know how you can calm him down?_ he answered, his deep, metallic voice filling her senses.

Lex gave the equivalent of a mental shrug. _It certainly wouldn't hurt the situation._

 _Talk to him like you do with me,_ Primus suggested. _Reach out to him with your mind. Your connection with me gives you a connection to all things I have created - mostly, though, with the Cybertronians._

Deciding that today couldn't get any more crazy if it _tried_ , Lex reached out with her mind to the little 'bot. She focused on the sensation of his metal on her skin, using it to ground her and direct her energy, her thoughts.

_Please calm down, little Nokia; I need you to be calm and help us in any way you can. Can you do that for me? Please?_

The 'bot finally stilled on her neck, and Lex got the sense that he was searching for something. She was amazed that it actually worked; she just communicated telepathically with an alien robot.

Tony was going to be _so_ jealous.

 _Femme_ , the 'bot responded in a strange metallic voice that was different from Primus'; instead of filling her senses and her entire being, the little Nokia's voice was like her own - simply _there_ , as if it had always been there and always would be. _Decepticons are coming - coming for the Allspark._

_I know, Nokia. What can we do?_

The 'bot was quiet, and for a moment they ran in silence.

_There is an Autobot here by the designation 'Bumblebee.' He is barely registering on my sensors, but he is here._

_Can he help?_ Lex asked.

_He can protect the cube._

"Right," she murmured out loud, blinking and calling out to Simmons. The man looked at her with thinly veiled disdain. "Do you happen to have an Autobot by the designation Bumblebee here by any chance?"

"Hey!" Sam called out, racing to catch up with her. "That's my car!" he exclaimed with wide eyes. "How do you know about 'Bee?"

Lex winked at the kid. "This little guy," she said, gesturing to the 'bot hiding behind her hair, "can sense him."

Sam stared at her in wonder. "He told you that?"

She smiled. "Sort of."

They eventually reached the arms room. Lennox tossed her a rifle before ordering her to stay with the civilians.

"When the fighting starts, you stick with them," he said firmly. "Make sure they make it out all right, understood, soldier?"

She saluted. "Aye aye, Captain." Before he could turn away, she caught his hand. His brown eyes were slightly glassy, and she had a feeling she knew why. "We'll be alright, Lennox," she said slowly, with more conviction than she felt. "It won't be like last time."

"It's not enough," he said, his breaths quickening as he looked around the room. "We aren't prepared for-"

"Will we ever be?" Lex interrupted. She squeezed his hand tightly before letting go. "I won't let anyone else die, Lennox. Not when I can stop it."

Their eyes met once more before he nodded and went to help the rest of the team gear up.

Lex joined Sam, Mikaela, Maggie and Glen. They were obviously worried, their eyes wide and terrified.

"Hey guys," she said as she walked up. "How are you holding up?"

Mikaela smiled through her fear, revealing brilliant white teeth. "Been better," she said. "But I think we're okay."

Suddenly the lights flickered once more and the ground shook underneath them. Sam looked at Mikaela, then at Lex before he rushed over to Simmons.

"You gotta take me to my car, man."

Lex and Mikaela shared a look before they headed over to join the conversation. "He's right, Simmons," Lex said. "Bumblebee will know what to do with the Allspark."

Simmons looked from Sam to Lex and back again, his eyes wide with panic. "Your car was confiscated," he said, as if that actually meant something.

"Well," Sam said, losing his patience. "Un-confiscate it."

"We don't know what will happen if we let that thing loose!" Simmons yelled. "I have people's lives at stake here, young man!"

"And you are going to be responsible for the death of ,em>every single one of them if you don't _listen to us_!" Lex snapped heatedly.

At this point, Lennox had enough. He grabbed Simmons by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "Take the kid to his car," he growled.

The room exploded into action. Weapons were drawn; Lex found herself with an arm around her waist and a pistol to the temple. A primal part of her brain _panicked _and before her brain could catch up, she jabbed the butt of her rifle into the man's stomach, simultaneously twisting out of his grip. Quick as lightning, she jabbed two fingers into a pressure point on his neck and his eyes rolled back into his head, his body going limp and slumping to the floor gracelessly.__

____

"Whoa, _whoa_ \- !" Banachek shouted, hands in the air.

____

"Drop your weapon soldier," Simmons said to Lennox, his voice trembling. "There's an alien war going on and you're gonna shoot me?"

____

"We didn't _ask_ to be here," Lennox said.

____

"I am ordering you under S-7 executive jurisdiction-"

____

"S-7 don't exist," Epps cut in.

____

"Yeah," Lennox said, feeding off of the support from his teammate, "and we don't take orders from people who don't exist."

____

Lex rolled her eyes, growing tired of this. "Blow his brains out, Lennox."

____

Simmons took a breath to calm himself. "I'm gonna count to five-"

____

Lennox pressed the pistol against Simmons' chest, his eyes hard and unyielding. "I'm gonna count to _three_."

____

"..."

____

"Simmons?"

____

"Yes, sir?"

____

"I'd do what he says. Losing's not really an option for these guys." The man then sent Lex a wink. "And Starks are well known for their unyielding stubbornness."

____

Simmons looked up at Lennox, then at the rest of the soldiers' hard faces around the room. He blanched when he saw the unconscious S-7 agent at Lex's feet. Finally, he nodded.

____

"Alright. You wanna lay the fate of the world on the kid's Camaro? That's cool."

____

As the group prepared to find Bumblebee, Lex, Epps and Lennox overheard Simmons and Banachek talking in hushed voices.

____

"... _Howard Stark's_ daughter..."

____

"...doesn't mean shit..."

____

"... _know_ it does, Simmons..."

____

"... did she really have to _knock him out_ , though?..."

____

Lennox's face was red as he held back laughter. Epps didn't even hide his, chuckling to himself and holding out his fist. Lex bumped it with her own, unable to contain her smirk.

____

Nobody messed with their family.

____

 

____

They entered the chamber where Bumblebee was being held and Lex's heart immediately clenched at the painful metallic wailing coming from the yellow 'bot in the middle of the room.

____

_I **really** hate humans sometimes _, she thought.__

______ _ _

_Free will is such a delicate matter_ , Primus responded, his voice full of patience and wisdom. _"What is better: to be born good or to overcome your evil nature with great effort?"_

______ _ _

Lex frowned, wondering why that sounded familiar. _You stole that from Paarthurnax_ , she said accusingly.

______ _ _

Primus' bellowing laughter rang through her mind, making her cheeks warm. _Paarthurnax is a very wise dragon._

______ _ _

As the S-7 scientists ceased their... _experimentation_ on the poor 'bot, Sam and Mikaela approached him, a curious Lex right behind.

______ _ _

"You okay?" Sam asked, his voice holding a familial concern. "They didn't hurt you, right?"

______ _ _

The yellow 'bot blinked before slamming a yellow helmet over his face and powered up his gun, pointing it at the humans. Lex felt a jolt of fear go through her - the last time she had a Cybertronian's guns pointed at her, Satan's Scorpion - _Scorponok_ , Primus helpfully supplied for her - was trying to kill her and nearly managed to kill one of her friends.

______ _ _

Shoving the fear down and ignoring the trembling of her hands, Lex slowly set her rifle on the ground, holding her hands up as she moved towards him.

______ _ _

"Bumblebee?" she asked cautiously.

______ _ _

His gun swerved straight to her and her breath caught in her throat, a whimper nearly making its way through her lips.

______ _ _

_explodingtanksrainingfirecrushedbodypartsterrifiedscreamsholyFUCK-_

______ _ _

Nokia broke her out of her terrified panic by crawling out from behind her hair and onto her shoulder, warbling in Cybertronian. " _Autobot Bumblebee; my designation is Nokia. I was created with energy from the Allspark. They would have destroyed me if not for this human femme. She is on your side._ "

______ _ _

Lex was confused that she could understand the little 'bot, for he was speaking out loud instead of inside her head and she registered the alien whirs and clicks of the Cybertronian language, but she understood him as if he were speaking English.

______ _ _

_Are you doing this?_ she asked Primus.

______ _ _

_No_ , he answered. _It is our connection, not I, that is allowing you to understand Cybertronian._

______ _ _

Sam, from beside Lex, watched the little 'bot on her shoulder with wide eyes. "I wonder what he's saying."

______ _ _

"He's explaining who he is and who I am," Lex said before she could stop herself.

______ _ _

Sam and Mikaela turned to her with wide, disbelieving eyes.

______ _ _

"You can understand him?" the girl asked reverently.

______ _ _

"Sorta," Lex said, feeling awkward. "I don't know how," she lied.

______ _ _

Sam's eyebrows were so far up that they nearly reached his hairline. "That's weird."

______ _ _

Lex scowled. "You're telling me."

______ _ _

Bumblebee tilted his head, seeming to contemplate something before he reached a hand out to Lex. She shot a glance at Sam, who looked surprised but shrugged anyway. Lex cautiously reached out and placed her palm on Bumblebee's, the metal warm and almost buzzing under her touch. Almost as soon as they made contact, a new presence filled her mind, reminding her of summer nights and warm bonfires under a blanket of stars.

______ _ _

_Greetings, human. My designation is Bumblebee. Thank you for saving Nokia. Please take me to the Allspark._

______ _ _

_Nice to meet you Bumblebee. I'm Alexandra Stark, but call me either Lex or Stark. Let's go._

______ _ _

She fell into place between Epps and Lennox, who shared a totally not-subtle glance over her head, their eyes dark and expressions grim.

______ _ _

"I have _eyes_ you know," she said, nudging them with her elbows.

______ _ _

They at least had the wherewithal to look sheepish.

______ _ _

"Sorry Mama," Epps said. "But even you gotta admit that whatever's going on with you and these aliens is _weird_."

______ _ _

Lennox nodded emphatically.

______ _ _

Feeling mischievous, Lex smirked. "Yeah," she said. "You could even say it's... _out of this world_."

______ _ _

The men groaned, the serious mood lifting with her bad joke.

______ _ _

"That was in poor taste," Simmons said with a sniff from behind them.

______ _ _

"Your parents' decision to not use a condom was in poor taste," Epps muttered under his breath. Lennox choked on his laughter and Lex snorted painfully, the sound erupting from behind her lips a cross between a guffaw and a whimper.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

As they reached the chamber, the earlier pull that Lex felt to the Allspark doubled in magnitude. It _ached_ , like the giant cube had a hand wrapped around her heart and was _tugging_. It was nearly the same feeling she had when she was with Primus, floating on top of the Allspark through space - that same overwhelming feeling of raw power, of _destiny_ \- as cheesy as she knew it sounded, even to herself.

______ _ _

_The Allspark is the main vassal of my power_ , Primus explained. _The longer you and I stay connected, the stronger the connection between you and the cube grows._

______ _ _

_... Interesting._

______ _ _

Bumblebee looked at her oddly, his head titled slightly to the side. Sensing he had something to say, Lex reached out and touched his warm metal skin, allowing him access to her mind.

______ _ _

_Your energy_ , he said, his metallic voice lightly accented with something she couldn't place. _I didn't notice it before, but now that we're... You feel exactly like the Allspark, femme Stark. I've never felt anything like it... and the way you can communicate with us through touch..._

______ _ _

She smiled, patting the 'bot on the shin, the highest she could reach. _It's a really long and complicated story. I'll explain once this is all over, I promise._

______ _ _

Stepping away to let the 'bot do his job, Lex stood with Sam and Mikaela and watched in awe as Bumblebee reached up and touched both hands to the massive cube.

______ _ _

The earth shifted again, the way it did earlier when Simmons used the cube's energy to bring Nokia to life. A pulse of glowing blue went through the Allspark and everyone watched in wonder as the cube started to fold in on itself. Bumblebee turned the new, much smaller version of the Allspark this way and that, observing it carefully before sending Lex an inscrutable look and deliberately handing the cube to Sam.

______ _ _

_He's suspicious, and well within his right to be,_ Lex acknowledged.

______ _ _

_Ah,_ Primus agreed.

______ _ _

"Message from Starfleet, Captain; let's get to it."

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

They quickly loaded into the Jeeps, Lex sharing one with Epps and Lennox, who stared at her unnervingly as they pulled out of Sector Seven.

______ _ _

She raised an eyebrow, and Epps was the first to cave.

______ _ _

"Can we meet him?"

______ _ _

She smiled before nodding. _Nokia_?

______ _ _

_Femme_ , he acknowledged.

______ _ _

_Would that be alright?_

______ _ _

He didn't answer, but his acceptance flowed into her mind, so as she quickly pulled her curls into a secure bun at the back of her head, he detached himself from the back of her neck and cautiously scuttled onto her shoulder and down her arm until he was standing on her knee, watching the two men in front of him with wary red eyes.

______ _ _

"His name is Nokia," Lex said.

______ _ _

Lennox snorted. "That's original."

______ _ _

Shooting him a dirty look, Lex introduced them to her new friend. "That's William Lennox, my direct superior," she explained, pointing to Lennox, "and this is Robert Epps. They're my best friends."

______ _ _

Nokia glared at them for another moment before introducing himself. "Greetings humans William Lennox and Robert Epps. My designation is Nokia, as the femme already disclosed."

______ _ _

" _Whoa!_ He can speak English?"

______ _ _

"Obviously," Lennox replied, shaking his head at Epps, though he was equally as surprised.

______ _ _

"When I became self-aware enough to recognize the kindred spark in the femme and calm my instincts, it wasn't difficult to access the World Wide Web and discover the Earth language you were speaking," Nokia explained. "It was only a matter of time for my main processor to download the language and adapt my vocal processor to form the correct sounds."

______ _ _

Epps gaped like a fish while Lennox blinked disbelievingly. "Okaaay..." the latter said, drawing out the syllables.

______ _ _

Nokia turned his glowing red eyes to Lex. _Femme_ , he said in her mind. _Autobots inbound._

______ _ _

Lex peered out the window and saw some _gorgeous_ pieces of machinery flanking them; alongside Bumblebee's yellow Camaro was a huge black GMC Topkick, a Search-and-Rescue Hummer, a silver Pontiac and a Peterbilt, red flames dancing along the side of the large blue semi.

______ _ _

"Looks like our friends have arrived," Lex reported to her teammates as the four alien robots followed them into Mission City - and possibly to their deaths.

______ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> helloooo friends ~  
> i ate some popcorn while i wrote this chapter.  
> i feel like this one's so much shorter than the others, even though it's only like 300 words shorter. i feel underaccomplished. meh.  
> nokiaaaa, my favorite little bean <3  
> anyway, leave this chapter some love, my loves! comment and tell me what i'm doing wrong (or what i'm doing right, i leave that decision up to you)  
> farewell till the next chapter my beauties ~~~


	6. The Passing of the Torch (part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex and Co. reach Mission City where, naturally, shit hits the fan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for this chapter include strong language, violence, cowardly bots who desperately want to be brave, and Lex's mindscape turning into a hangout spot for Cybertronians.

****__****__**I-15 North - Nevada **  
**May 8th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

Lex was almost certain that they were barrelling down the highway straight to their deaths, so she allowed herself to open up the metaphorical box of forbidden memories that she'd kept locked up inside her mind for far too long.

She was a toddler when her parents died, yet she could still feel the echo of her mother's love - everyone she talked to described Maria Stark as a woman who loved fiercely, with her entire being, and sometimes Lex swore she could still hear her rich laughter; still feel her arms wrapped around her like a safe and comforting blanket.

Howard was a different story. Though he was never good at expressing his emotions, he tried his hardest for her. If he knew that she was not his biological daughter, he never let it show. She was his daughter through and through - no matter who had physically given her life, Howard Stark was and always would be her real father.

She thought about them - her parents - and what little she knew of them as they raced to Mission City, alien robots hot on their tails. Every time she took a step forward in discovering more about Howard and the secrets that surrounded him, it felt like she also took two steps back. How did he get involved in Sector Seven? What other majorly confidential experimental organizations was he apart of? Did he know that there were other Cybertronians out there, and that one day soon they would be coming to Earth (or Midgard as Primus called it)?

But for the most part, one question repeated itself over and over again in her mind: if her parents could see her now, would they be proud of her?

Lex had a deep, sinking suspicion that she'd get to ask them herself when this was all over.

She'd made a promise to Lennox - one that she wasn't about to go back on any time soon. Even if she had to take _missiles_ for these people - her friends, her _family_ \- she'd do it. Over and over again, because while she might be able to get up and walk away from something like that, they definitely couldn't. It was her job, her duty to protect people, and she'd be damned if she didn't do her best to do so.

 _At least I might be able to see my parents again,_ she mused. _And I'll be able to apologize to Donnelly for not being able to save him._

Primus, who had been quiet while she reminisced about Maria and Howard, spoke up. _Your fate is not set in stone, dear one._ His voice was soothing, and the anxiety that was starting to reach a climax inside of her suddenly dulled. _Well - in the grand scheme of things - yes, I suppose it is. It was fate for us to meet, for you to be connected with the Cybertronians. Just remember, my child - you are ultimately the master of your own destiny, and you are the sole proprietor of your own fate. So while your fate may be set in stone, it is up to you to decide which fate that may be._

Lex felt something calming settle deep in her bones at his words. _Thank you, Primus._

_Of course, dear one._

Nokia was quivering on the back of her neck and the mild, tickling sensation brought her out of her head and into reality. She reached a hand around to the back of her neck, stroking the little 'bot gently with a finger in what she hoped was a calming manner.

 _What's wrong?_ she asked, concerned.

His shame washed over her in waves and Lex nearly choked at the feeling. Probing deeper into the emotion with her mind, she caught the gist of the source.

 _Nokia_ , she said, her tone fierce, _you are_ not _weak_.

 _But I am_ frightened, Nokia confessed, his metallic voice vulnerable. _Everything inside of me is telling me not to do this. I don't want to. I-I am not_ like _you, femme Stark. I have seen in your mind the things you have done, the things you are willing to do for your "precious people," and I am not like you. I cannot put my fears aside and risk myself to save others. I do not have it in me, and I_ hate _it. I_ hate _myself because of it._

Lex felt tears spring to her eyes. _Oh Nokia_ , she thought softly. _Bravery isn't the same for everyone. You don't want to be here, and yet here you are. You're here despite how scared you are. I don't care what you think_ \- that's _real bravery, and I'm really grateful that you're with me despite it all, Nokia._

Warm feelings entered her mind like a ray of light, chasing the shame and guilt back into the shadows where they belonged. _Thank you_.

All of those warm feelings dissipated the moment Lex felt a peculiar shift in the air around them. Her head whipped up at the same time that Nokia's did and her friends noticed.

"Stark?" Lennox asked, concerned.

"Decepticons," Nokia informed them, no longer trying to hide his trembling. "They are catching up; I can now sense them on my radar."

Lex leaned her head out the open window to look at the aliens disguised as vehicles racing behind them. Out of nowhere, a decked out military Hummer transformed, skating down the freeway on wheels where the feet should have been. It was fast, faster than Skorponok had been, and fear lanced through Lex like a spear.

" _Holy shit!_ "

It seemed like the world had slowed down and everything was in slow motion as the tan Hummer leaped at the red and blue semi - which transformed just in time to block the attack, the resounding metal **clang** ringing loudly in Lex's ears, rattling her bones. Cars exploded and the earth trembled as the two huge bots fell off of the overpass and down to the ground below.

 _Optimus will finish him off quickly_ , Nokia said in her mind.

The name felt familiar somehow. _Optimus?_

 _Optimus Prime_ , he explained, showing her an image of the Peterbilt as he was on Cybertron - standing tall, proud and regal. He reminded her of - of -

 _The Primes are chosen by Primus as reincarnations of himself, as leaders of the Cybertronians_ , Nokia continued, not noticing her shock. _After the fall of Cybertron, Optimus started to lead the fight against his brother, Megatron._

Primus' reincarnation was the brother of the guy trying to take over her planet? _That makes sense, actually. Quick question, though; how do you know so much about this stuff when you were just created?_

 _Because of the Allspark_ , Nokia explained. _I was created with the Allspark's energy directly. The Allspark has infinite knowledge, and it seems that it saw fit to gift some of it to me._

_Interesting._

The Jeep rolled to a stop and Lex tightened her grip on her rifle, everything in her mind going still. Could she really do this? Was she prepared to save these people with her dying breath? Could she give her life for the rest of humanity?

Epps clapped a hand on her knee and Lennox nudged her in the side with his elbow. When she looked up, she saw that they were both grinning at her, pretending like there wasn't fear hiding behind their eyes and that they weren't walking straight into their demise. Lex straightened and grinned back at them.

She could give her life for everyone else's, she decided, and she'd do it with a gods-damned smile on her face.

 

"Stark," Lennox said as he handed Epps a radio. "My earlier order still stands. You're still with Sam and Mikaela, to the very end. You've got some sort of weird alien connection to these things, yeah? Use it. Keep them safe. Stay alive."

Lex nodded, plucking the radio out of Epps' hands and absently digging into the wires, connecting some wires before handing it back. She ignored his raised eyebrows and focused on her captain. "Sure, Lennox. You two be careful, alright? I'm not healing you if I find out either of you hurt yourselves pulling some stupid shit." She then turned to Epps. "That should give you another few miles, maybe 30 or 40. I'm not my brother - he could get this thing to contact the moon if he wanted to," she said with a fond roll of her eyes, "but hopefully it'll be enough."

The two men acknowledged her words with grins and, satisfied, she turned and jogged over to the flashy yellow Camaro waiting a few feet away. The back door swung open by itself and then closed when she slid smoothly inside.

 _Femme Stark_ , the bot greeted her as soon as her skin touched the expensive leather interior of the car.

_Hello, 'Bee._

"Okay guys," she said out loud. "You two are my responsibility, so stay by me, alright? I'm a mutant; I heal people. If you get hurt at any time during this, come find me and let me fix you up. Got it?"

"Thank you," Mikaela said sincerely, her face showing shock at finding out that Lex was a mutant but grateful nonetheless. Sam looked like he had a million questions but Mikaela jabbed him sharply in the ribs with two fingers, sending him a perfect "not now" look. Lex appreciated the younger girl's tact.

Lex heard a warm, content purring-type sound in her mind. _Nokia?_ she asked.

_Not me._

_Primus?_

In lieu of a response, she felt the urge to turn her head and followed it, seeing the Allspark sitting in the seat next to her. Some distant part of her was amused that someone had buckled it in with the seat belt. It was probably Sam's idea.

She reached out and skimmed her fingertips over the hard metal surface of the cube, electricity seeming to flow from the Allspark through her very bones. A third presence entered her mind, different from the others - there were no words or pictures. Instead, the cube sent her emotions - joy; sadness; contentment; wholeness. They filled her to the point she thought they were going to burst forth from her body, enveloping the entire world. Lex got the sense that the Allspark was happy to be passing its knowledge and powers onto her - it felt safe in her hands. It knew her, body, mind and soul and had passed its judgment favorably on her.

Bumblebee's leather seats seemed to vibrate with energy under her. _Femme Stark_ , he said in her mind, _your energy is nearly blinding right now. The Decepticons will be able to sense it from kliks away._

Lex cursed softly. _Allspark?_ she asked cautiously. _I'm flattered, but can you tone it down a bit, please? We don't want Decepticons raining down on our heads before we're ready._

She didn't receive any more emotions, but the presence slid easily out of her head. Lex sighed. Would she ever be alone in her mind again?

Primus chuckled. _Patience, dear one._

Bumblebee slowed to a stop alongside the other Autobots and the Jeeps. Lex exited the flashy Camaro, running her fingertips along the door frame before shutting it. The 'bot purred under her touch and she smiled.

She stuck with Sam and Mikaela in the back, rifle held close to her chest. The men popped green smoke around them as Epps and Lennox stood at the front of the group, calling for the Air Force. Nokia was clinging to the back of her neck, peering at their surroundings with suspicious red eyes. _Optics_ , Primus reminded her. She mentally nodded and added that tidbit of information to the steadily growing file in her mind labeled Giant Alien Robots.

After a jet flew overhead, Nokia's consciousness nudged hers in the direction of the large black Topkick and search-and-rescue Hummer next to her. _Autobots Ironhide and Ratchet, weapons specialist and Chief Medical Officer respectively,_ he introduced.

The Topkick, Ironhide, was close enough to touch, so she reached out to introduce herself only to stagger backwards in surprise as he transformed into his robot - _bipedal_ \- form, large cannons activating with strong whirs and clicks. "It's Starscream!" he bellowed, pointing his cannons at the sky where the same jet from before had reappeared.

Bumblebee and the silver Pontiac - _Jazz_ , Nokia informed her - transformed before using a large overturned semi for cover. "Fall back!" Lennox shouted. Lex grabbed Sam and Mikaela and dragged them to the sidewalk away from the street. She pushed them into a doorway.

"Stay here, okay?"

Their eyes widened dramatically. "Lex, _look out_ -!"

Sam's words were cut off as the ground underneath Lex exploded and she went flying. The world was a blur of color and sound and _pain_ before she landed with a dull **thud** onto the unforgiving pavement below.

 

" _Femme Stark!_ "

Nokia's panicked cries were the first thing she registered when her senses returned. Her vision was fuzzy like she was underwater and her limbs were heavy.

Lex grit her teeth, feeling flesh stitch itself back together. _When I said I'd take missiles for these people_ , she thought, _I didn't mean that_ literally.

"Anybody hurt?" Lennox yelled.

The pain doubled as the bones in her chest started to fuse back together. Son of a _bitch_ if she forgot how excruciating it was to heal broken ribs.

"Stark?" Epps asked in concern, crouched next to her prone form. "Why aren't you healing?"

"I _am_ ," she bit out through clenched teeth. "Ribs cracked. Bloody _hurts_."

He quickly scooped her up, careful to avoid her healing ribs, and carried her to the sidewalk, depositing her behind an overturned car.

A few more moments passed before her breaths no longer seared and she heaved a deep sigh of relief. She smiled and kissed his cheek in thanks. His grin was lopsided as he put his hand on her head.

"Be careful, Mama," he said. "We are _not_ losing you today."

They parted ways, Epps jogging over to their captain while Lex went to her charges. Nokia caught up with her, scuttling up her body and burrowing himself deeply into the back of her neck.

 _Femme Stark_ , he said in her mind as soon as his metal legs touched her skin. His tone was distressed and she felt a strange, violating sensation run through her.

 _He's scanning you for remaining injuries,_ Primus said. She shuddered. The feeling was decidedly unpleasant.

 _I'm fine, Nokia,_ she told the little 'bot. _You know that I heal. Everything comes with a price; healing others is painless for them, but healing myself is obviously a different story._

Lex's heart dropped to her stomach as she neared her charges and heard pained metallic cries coming from a helpless Bumblebee crawling towards Sam, both of the 'bot's legs missing.

"Oh Primus," she whispered, rushing over and pressing a trembling hand to his helm. Pain and helplessness flowed into her brain, nearly causing her to vomit from the onslaught of emotion. _Bumblebee?_

 _Femme Stark_ , he replied faintly, his voice strained. _It's not as bad as it looks._

Lex let out a humorless, startled laugh. "Your _legs_ are _gone_ , Bumblebee!"

"You gotta get up," Sam pleaded, fear and panic making his eyes shine. He turned to the other Autobots. " _Ratchet!_ "

" _Do not strain yourself, Bumblebee_ ," Nokia said in Cybertronian.

He ignored the little 'bot's warning and tried to sit up.

" _DUCK!_ " Epps screamed and Lex automatically grabbed Sam and Mikaela and hit the deck just as a tank rumbled down the street and fired yet another missile at them.

"Let's go!" Lennox ordered once the dust settled.

Mikaela immediately ran off. Lex screamed after her but stayed by Sam's side - Sam, who was currently cradling the Allspark to his chest and staring at Bumblebee with wide, fearful eyes.

Bumblebee opened his mouth, vocals sounding rough and horribly strained. He uttered one single word:

"Go."

They went.

 

Lex struggled against her mind as it tried desperately to slip into battle mode. Now wasn't the time to be a thoughtless grunt; she needed to plan, to strategize - to get Sam and the cube to safety and keep everyone alive.

"Stark, Sam, where's the cube?" Lennox yelled as they ran up, sliding down next to him under cover of a semi. His face was dirty and bloody and Lex had to physically stop herself from rushing to him and healing every cut and bruise she saw.

"Sam has it," she said instead, pushing the teenager toward her captain. "What's the plan?"

"Alright," Lennox said. "I can't leave my guys back there so take this flare." He deposited said flare into Sam's hand. "There's a tall, white building with statues on top." He pointed. "Go to the roof. Set the flare."

Sam looked panicked. "What? No," he interjected.

Lennox ignored him. "Signal the chopper and set the flare -"

"No, _no!_ I can't do this! Send Lex - she's the soldier!"

" _Listen to me!_ " Lennox shouted, grabbing the teenager by the collar. " _You're_ a soldier now, you understand? You and Lex have a connection to these things; it _has_ to be you. Get this into military hands while we hold them off or a lot of people are going to die. And _you_." He turned to Lex, gripping her shoulders tightly. "I know what I said earlier, but I want you to forget that. Forget about us." He pointed to Sam. " _He_ is your priority. Make sure he makes it. Do you understand, soldier?"

Lex nodded. She reached up and gripped his wrists, her golden light flowing under the sleeves of his uniforms and healing every cut and bruise it can find. Squeezing his hands in hers, she smiles. "Aye aye, Captain."

He let her go with a nod and focused on the other soldiers. With a quiet, determined sigh, Lex jogged over to where Sam and Mikaela were standing, their arms wrapped around each other. She felt a small pang of loneliness but smiled softly at the sight.

,em>Femme Stark?

_Call me Lex, Nokia. All my friends do._

_Lex_ , he said, testing it out, the tiniest bit pleased at the word "friends." _Would you like me to transform into my alt form? I do not wish to get in your way._ His words were no longer tinged with shame, determination filling her mind instead. _I do not have the means to help you right now_ , he explained, picking up on her thoughts, _but after this is all over, I will find a way to be useful and help others - like you do._ His voice faltered, strong waves of emotion coming over them both. _I am not_ like _you, but I want to be. I_ will _be._

Tears blurred her vision as Lex reached a hand back, Nokia climbing onto it. She brought him around and stared into his eyes, watching in wonder as they melted from an angry red to a glowing, soothing blue. _Thank you, Nokia. You are a true friend._

Be safe, was all he said before he transformed back into a cell phone and she shoved him deep into a pocket, zipping the top of it shut just in case.

"Sam; femme; we will protect you," the weapons specialist said as he and Ratchet came to stand on either side of them. Lex smiled.

"Thank you."

" _Move,_ you two!"

And they were running.

"Stay behind me!" Lex screamed at Sam and pushed herself ahead of him, leading the way. Her brain blocked out the explosions and chaos around them; she had one focus and one focus only: get Sam and the Allspark to the building. Nothing else mattered.

Except for when Starscream got in their way. Sam tripped, and when the Allspark hit the ground, a wave of energy went through the earth. Lex's eyes widened when she felt the cube's energy go through her, caressing her insides like a feather. They widened even further when Starscream went straight for Sam.

She tackled him, shielding him with her body while the Decepticon passed inches over them before flying away.

" _Get to the building!_ " Ironhide ordered, falling to his knees while fighting three Decepticons at once. Lex got off of Sam and started running, trusting the boy to follow her.

"You can do this," she muttered to herself as she ran. Her thighs were on fire. Her throat and lungs were developing an icy burn. Her entire body ached but she kept going; kept pushing herself. When the building came into view, she let out a strangled noise somewhere between relief and exasperation. It was still so far away...

Megatron landed behind them, making the ground rumble under their feet. "Give me the cube, boy!"

They somehow made it to the building without Megatron or another Decepticon blowing them to bits and Lex thanked her lucky stars (and Primus, who chuckled and said that this was all her) that they did.

She nearly sobbed in relief when they darted inside the crumbling building. Grabbing Sam's arm, she ran to the staircase.

She'd just run for her life; some stairs surely wouldn't be too much of a -

They looked up the endless flights of stairs. Lex cursed, loudly and colorfully, making Sam blush.

 _Better start climbing, dear one,_ Primus said in her mind between chuckles.

Lex groaned.

 _You have got to be_ fucking _kidding me._

Megatron burst in through a window.

Lex cursed once more and started climbing.


	7. The Passing of the Torch (part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex and Sam finally destroy Megatron's bitchass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for this chapter include strong language and violence (as always), death, and weird Allspark shit.

****__****__**Mission City - Nevada **  
**May 8th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

Adrenaline hung thick in the air around them as they climbed higher and higher. Lex's legs were on fire; even Lennox's Drills From Hell, as Epps liked to call them, couldn't have prepared her for the amount of cardio she'd done today. _Poor Sam is probably dying_ , she thought sympathetically, and the wheezing gasps she could hear from the boy in question confirmed her theory. 

"I can smell you, boy!" 

Lex huffed in exasperation. "That's not creepy at all," she panted, sarcasm clearly evident in her voice. Sam let out a bark of nervous laughter from where he was laboring half a flight above her. 

They'd been climbing for ages. Megatron was somewhere underneath them, wreaking havoc on the poor old building, and the fear and adrenaline coursing through their veins was the only thing keeping them going. 

"I think my ass is falling off," Sam whined between heavy, labored breaths. 

Lex let out a humorless chuckle. "Mine fell off six flights ago." 

When they ( _finally_ \- Primus help her she was _so_ going to get back at Lennox for picking this of all buildings) reached the roof, Sam passed the cube down to her to climb over the ledge. The same warm feelings from before flooded her mind and she briefly let herself get lost in the sensation before passing the Allspark back to Sam. Running even harder than before, she yelled at Sam to light the flare as helicopters circled overhead. He screamed at them, waving the flare back and forth like a manic trying to get their attention. 

"Come on, come on, COME ON," Lex nearly screamed, a flutter of hope growing in her stomach as a helicopter appeared at the edge of the roof, an Airman waiting for them with outstretched arms. Sam thrust the cube out, desperately trying to pass it off to the Airman before Megatron caught up. 

The Allspark was centimeters away from being safe. _Centimeters_. 

"Watch out!" Sam screamed, pulling the cube back and diving away from the chopper. Lex did the same with a filthy curse on her lips as she spotted the freaking missile headed straight toward it. 

_Why does this have to be so Primus-damned_ complicated!? 

Primus' faint amusement echoed in her mind as she dove for Sam, covering him with her body and pushing his head down to protect it from the tail of the helicopter as it swung dangerously above them. 

"Hang on, Sam!" 

Lex pulled the teenager to his feet and could just barely make out the form of Optimus Prime as he sped across the buildings toward them. 

"Not fast enough," she muttered to herself as her grip on Sam's wrist tightened. Her eyes darted for places to hide. " _Damn_ it, he's not coming _fast enough_ , he's not going to _make it_ -" 

Lex's prediction came true as a giant metallic hand shot through the roof not five feet in front of them. 

Megatron had caught up, and Optimus was too far away to help. 

_Primus_ , she thought, more of a desperate prayer than anything else. _Help us._

She turned to Sam, ignoring the raw panic in his posture and the fear that shone behind brown eyes that were rapidly filling with tears. She placed a hand on his shoulder, the other patting his cheek to make sure he was paying attention. "Hide behind that pillar," she pointed, her voice commanding in a way that held no room for arguments - she was rapidly losing thought process to her fight-or-flight instincts, and her conditioning as a soldier was coming through. "Don't come out from behind there and no matter what happens, _do not give the Allspark to Megatron._ Trust me, Sam, _please_." 

She was barely able to finish before she was running, trusting the boy to follow her orders. 

As Megatron erupted from the building below, Lex hid herself behind him, hoping and praying he wouldn't turn around before she was ready. 

"Is it fear or courage that compels you, fleshling?" 

Lex almost lost control of her bowels before she realized that Megatron was talking to Sam and not her. Her body was nearly vibrating with adrenaline and every synapse in her brain was firing at hyper speed. Megatron's voice made her skin crawl. 

_Without fear, there cannot be courage,_ Primus reminded her absently, the majority of his focus on the events happening around them. 

_Thanks for that pearl of wisdom, Primus,_ she thought half-hysterically as she crept her way closer and closer to the twenty-foot harbinger of death in front of her.

Megatron stalked closer to Sam, Lex silently shadowing his movements. She risked a glance to where she had last seen Optimus and nearly cried when she saw that he was close.

"Give me the Allspark and you shall live to be my pet," the alien robot sneered, not bothering to hide his distaste at the thought. Lex wanted to scream at Sam not to give in but bit her tongue. She trusted him. She _had_ to trust him.

Helicopters rolled by, and the sight must have given Sam the courage he was searching for. "I am never giving you this Allspark!"

 _Good boy,_ Lex complimented him in her head. The pride she felt for his defiance diminished, however, when Megatron snarled and raised his hand to take a swipe at Sam. 

She darted in close, far too close for comfort, shoving the nose of her rifle in a specially chosen crack between two metal plates, a nearly feral war cry bursting from her lips as she did so. 

A loud, metallic growl came from Megatron as his strike to Sam hit the pillar behind the boy instead and he whipped around, hitting Lex in the same blow. Sam screamed in terror as he fell off the building and sped towards the unforgiving concrete below; Megatron screamed in rage, infuriated that a mortal femme had the _nerve_ to shoot him in the aft; and Lex screamed in sheer, blind pain as Megatron's hand shattered her ribs, sending her flying through the air and landing against a statue with a sickening crunch, her world going black. 

****__****__**Jotunheim **  
**May 8th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

Almost as soon as they landed on the frozen wasteland, he felt another phantom pain in his side. Wincing and pressing a hand to the affected area, he huffed, wondering just what in the nine realms was going on with his body. This was the second time today that his ribs ached for no reason. He'd done a scan when it happened earlier to target the source of the pain and his probe showed nothing out of the ordinary, only confusing him further.

His brother, despite being the idiot that he was, noticed right away that something was wrong. "Brother," the oaf said, concern lacing his voice. "Are you hurt?"

Straightening, the silver-tongued god muttered a denial before shoving the pain to the back of his mind. Once he was back on Asgard he'd look further into the matter, perhaps consult Frigga if his research turned up fruitless.

"Let's move," Thor said, starting forward determinedly.

Loki smirked.

****__****__**Mission City - Nevada **  
**May 8th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

Consciousness seeped back into her slowly but steadily. She opened her eyes, and for the briefest flash she thought she was in a place covered in snow, but then she blinked and the icy wind she felt was replaced by the unforgiving Nevada sun, the snowy mountains replaced with gleaming buildings. Strange...

Nokia was crouched on her stomach, his big blue optics looking into her face with fear. _Lex?_

She groaned and pushed herself up, body heavy and aching but still in working order. _I'm fine, Nokia. Are you hurt?_

_I am uninjured. Do not worry about me._

He crawled back into her pocket, assured that she was fine. Noting that the roof was empty, Lex stumbled to the edge and peered down, hope and relief flooding through her as she saw Megatron, Optimus and Sam on the ground below. She shoved the fatigue to the back of her mind and quickly made her way back to the stairwell, nearly flying down the stairs.

She still had a mission to complete. She had to protect Sam; had to help him protect the cube. Resting would come later.

 _You are doing well, Alexandra_ , Primus said gently in her mind. His consciousness wrapped itself around her fatigue and any remaining pain from her fall, blocking it from her mind so that she could focus on the task at hand. She sent him her gratitude as she ran down the stairs, taking two at a time.

It took far less time going down than it did coming up, and Lex reached the bottom with seconds to spare. As she sprinted out of the building and toward the two giant 'bots just down the street, they started to fight, the sound of metal on metal reverberating through her bones.

"Sam!" she exclaimed as she reached him, gripping his shoulders for support as she doubled over and her chest heaved painfully.

"Oh my God, Lex, are you alright?" Sam's eyes were wide as he took in her blood-spattered uniform, the hand not holding the Allspark finding its way to her arm for extra support.

"Fine - I'm fine. I heal, remember?" He nodded warily and she straightened, eyeing the two 'bots dueling it out before them. "So what's the plan?"

Sam's expression changed from uncertain to determined in less than a second. "We are going to push the Allspark into Megatron's chest and destroy it."

Lex felt uneasy at the thought, but suddenly Primus' presence in her mind expanded until he filled every crevice, saturated every thought.

 _Dear one,_ he said, his voice like coming home, _this is what I have been trying to prepare you for._

 _For the destruction of the Allspark?_ she asked, the confusion and hysteria she felt dulled by his presence.

_Yes. The Allspark's time in this form is complete, my child, and it is time for it to take on a new form._

The truth hit Lex so hard that she nearly stumbled in shock. _... Me? You want me to be the new Allspark?_

_Like I told you before, you are the gift I have waited many lifetimes to receive, dear one. With the power of the Allspark flowing through your veins and your ability to heal your fellow humans, you are the one prophecised to unite Cybertronians and humans - my two most prized creations - as one. You are the bridge between two worlds, Alexandra. I know you, body, mind, and soul, and there is no one I trust more to carry on my legacy and bring peace and balance to the universe._

She was stunned - at a complete loss for words. _I - I don't know, Primus. I'm just me. I don't know if I can be what you - what they - need me to be. This is - holy shit._

And in that moment, Primus' love and support filled her entire being. _I believe in you_ , he said, and she somehow felt the ghost of his arms around her, encircling and protecting with their strength and warmth. _I must go now, dear one, but I will always be with you._ In her mind's eye she saw him in all his glory, chocolate-mocha skin and gleaming silver teeth and eyes such an electric blue that they brought tears to hers. _That is a promise. Now go. I have the utmost faith in you, Alexandra Howlett Stark. Make me proud._

 

"Lex?" Sam asked, snapping her out from inside her mind. She jerked slightly, the absence of Primus echoing emptily inside her head.

Looking down, she saw that Sam was holding the cube out to her, a fierce and hopeful look in his brown eyes. "Together?" he asked when he saw that she was back in this reality. Lex smiled, wiping away her tears. She'd miss Primus, more than she'd ever miss anything else in the world, but like he'd said, he would always be with her.

She had a legacy to carry on.

They gripped the cube in their hands, feeling a bond thrum to life between them as they held the creation and destruction of worlds in their hands.

"Together."

They shadowed Optimus and Megatron as they battled throughout the city, Megatron seeming to have the upper hand. It was hard for Lex to watch without interfering, but she knew she would only get in Optimus' way at this point. She was sore and exhausted and pretty useless at the moment.

Sam froze in his steps and grabbed her arm. She followed his gaze, hope springing to life inside of her as she saw the F-22's flying above them.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face.

They ran out to Optimus as the Air Force brought the rain down on Megatron. He was pissed, snarling and growling like a wild animal, but Lex wasn't afraid of him anymore. She knew what needed to be done and Primus had filled her with such love and support that she felt like she could do anything.

Optimus scooped them close with one hand before Megatron could reach them. Lex and Sam's hands were tightly clasped as they stood between two large, injured alien robots, each one vying for the cube they held between them.

"Allspark... Mine!" Megatron growled, looming over them with a furious expression on his face plates. One of his servos was pressed tightly to a gaping hole in his armor, the same shimmering blue liquid from Lex's dream gushing out.

"Children," Optimus panted from their other side. "Put the cube into my chest! Now!"

Sam squeezed Lex's hand and she turned to look at him. The determination on his face made her smirk and she squeezed his hand back.

Megatron crawled so that he was right above them, the blue liquid raining down around them. They gripped the cube together and with a final look between them, shoved it into Megatron's chest.

As the cube disintegrated, Lex felt its presence enter her mind one last time. Warmth and security flowed through her as the Allspark passed its power to her, searing into her veins and attaching itself to her very essence, her life force. It was painful and exhilarating, all at once, and so very overwhelming that Lex couldn't help but scream out - in agony or ecstasy, she couldn't tell.

A shard of the disintegrating cube fell onto her chest and burned as it sank into her skin, through muscle and tissue and she felt it moving deeper and deeper into her chest before stopping completely. Tears flowed down her cheeks as the many sensations became all too much before the Allspark was completely gone and everything was still.

Megatron twitched and gasped, flailing like a fish out of water and clawing at the gaping hole in his chest before falling to the ground, his red eyes dimming. Optimus stood and leaned over the fallen 'bot, his optics heavy and words laced with sadness. "You left me no choice, brother."

He then turned to Lex and Sam, who were holding on to each other tightly, their eyes wide. "Sam, Lex, I owe you two my life. We are in your debt."

"Stark!"

Lex turned and was abruptly swept into Lennox's arms as he crushed her to his chest. A laugh bubbled up and escaped her lips as she hugged him back fiercely. He pulled away and placed his hands on her shoulders, grin fading.

"Epps is hurt," he said, voice now strained. "He won't make it if we don't hurry, Lex."

Lex's mind went blank and she ran.

 

"Round up everyone you can find," Lex barked to the remaining soldiers after she healed Epps, "If they're injured, send them to me immediately."

And for the next half an hour, Lex sat on the sidewalk of the city she just destroyed and healed its citizens, making sure that no cut or scrape went unnoticed. They were traumatized by the things they witnessed, and when Lex healed them with her golden light and gentle words, whispers broke out among them - whispers that she was a mutant, and that mutants were bad, but they couldn't be all bad if she was here, healing their wounded and soothing their fears, right?

When the last citizen of Mission City was completely injury-free, Lex felt foggier than she ever had before. There were way more people here than there were at Mahfouz's village, and healing all of them on top of everything she'd already been through - she could barely tell which way was up and which was down.

"You did good, Mama," Epps said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it gently. Other than the usual aches and pains that came with one of Lex's healing sessions, he was completely fine and assigned himself to watching her work, making sure she didn't overexert herself.

"Not done yet," she mumbled, stumbling to her feet. Something inside of her was building - some kind of pressure, and if she didn't release it _now_ -

"Holy _shit,_ " Epps exclaimed with wide eyes when her hands started glowing - a strange mixture between the gold of her usual healing light and the piercing, glowing blue of the Cybertronians' blood - _energon,_ she recalled.

"I - I don't -"

The Autobots, attracted by the energy coming off of her, crowded around the two.

"Femme," Ratchet said, his optics dim as he scanned her. Due to the intensity of the power growing inside of her, she didn't even notice the invasive feeling of the scan. "The power inside of you is identical to that of the Allspark."

"How is that possible, Ratchet?" The big one, Ironhide, demanded. "The Allspark was just destroyed."

Optimus Prime knelt down next to Lex, whose whole body was starting to glow and vibrate with power. "Maybe not," he rumbled in a quiet voice. "Ironhide," he said, turning to the weapons specialist. "Place Jazz down by Lex."

Ratchet turned sharp optics to his leader. "Optimus," he said, "you don't think -?"

"We need to know."

As the two halves of the fallen Autobot was laid next to her, the power growing inside of Lex reached a peak. She cried out as the sensations rocked her - body, mind and soul - and she reached out blindly, grabbing onto the first part of the 'bot she could.

She felt _infinite_ ; almost like when she saw Primus' true form, but _better_ because this power was _hers_ and she could do _anything_ ; nothing was out of her grasp -

What felt like both an instant and an eternity later, it stopped, and the power snapped back inside of Lex just like _that_ , causing her to stumble away from the silver 'bot and into Epps who caught her easily. The world tilted and blurred and she felt like she wasn't even inside of her body anymore - like she was floating somewhere above it.

There was something inside of her keeping her conscious - something that was just _there_ , thrumming gently and filling her with warmth. When she nudged it with her mind, it expanded, and suddenly there was another presence in her head, nearly drowning her with feelings of gratitude and devotion and awe.

 _I am Jazz, little one,_ it introduced itself, and she received an image of the silver Autobot she'd just revived. _You brought me back. You_ saved _me. Thank you._

Lex rode the warm feelings Jazz was sending her into unconsciousness, a soft and serene smile on her face.

_Anytime, Jazz._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi friends ~  
> i'm back after being super super sick. i feel so much better now!  
> i'm not really happy with how this chapter turned out but eventually i'll come back and edit it to my liking but for now, enjoy ~  
> \- m


	8. Slowly, Then All At Once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a normal day on Asgard - at least until Loki finds out he's got a soul-bond he wasn't aware of ~~but once he meets the girl he's bonded to he finds out he really doesn't mind being soul-bound all that much oops~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for this chapter include strong language (every chapter includes strong language, honestly), Loki-type angst, some brief cynicism from out fav girl (who can blame her tbh) and me rambling out of my ass about souls and shit.

****__****__**Thor's private courtyard - Asgard **  
**May 10th, 2007 **********_ _ ** ** _ _ ** **

A feral war cry rang through the courtyard, feminine and full of rage. Loki, sat high in a tree overlooking the cobblestone circle, took his attention away from the book in his lap in time to see Sif in all her raw, warrior-goddess beauty leaping at an unarmed Thor. The trickster snorted at the oaf's comically horrified expression.  


The god of thunder raised his arms, blocking her strike with the metal cuffs of his bracers, the metallic clang reverberating throughout the otherwise quiet area. "My lady -"  


She snarled, pulling her sword back and raising it for another strike. She was radiant in the mid-afternoon sun, all raw grace and fierce beauty. "Don't you ' _my lady_ ' me, Thor Odinson. Of all the harebrained, ill-thought out, reckless -"  


"If you're talking about what happened on Jötunheim," Thor said, crouched in a defensive position and slowly edging away from her, "then I'll have you know that the whole thing was entirely Loki's idea."  


Sif rolled her eyes and lunged, her sword bouncing off the cobblestones and producing sparks as Thor dove out of the way, landing back in a crouch with his arms raised and ready for another block.  


"It doesn't matter who's idea it was!" she nearly shrieked, hazel eyes burning with anger. "You still went gallivanting off to _Jötunheim_ because you believed that you would get lucky with a frost giant's daughters!"  


Loki watched the scene with amusement tugging the corner of his lips upward, feeling not a shred of guilt for his brother's current predicament. Half of the realms knew of Geirrö's hatred of Thor, but the oaf himself was too dense to pay attention to rumors and hearsay; it was all too easy to convince him that the giant wanted to introduce Thor to his two beautiful daughters, Gjàlp and Greip.  


(Of course, once Thor heard the words "beautiful" and "daughters" in the same sentence, convincing was no longer necessary; the man was so utterly, utterly simple that it _hurt_ Loki sometimes. He felt that it was his civic duty to constantly point out this flaw by pulling stunts like these, because _really_ , if the idiot fell for the most simple of tricks like this, how could he possibly be fit to _rule over the nine realms?_ )  


(Father never saw it this way, though, and despite his complete lack of anything resembling common sense, Thor always managed to come out on top and be hailed a hero who not only forgave his wily, misunderstood brother for his wrongdoings but didn't hold it against him. It left a bitter taste in Loki's mouth _every time_ but he just couldn't help himself - always, _always_ hoping that this time it would be different and everyone would see the halfwit for what he was.)  


They immediately took the Bitfrost to Jötunheim, where a massive storm forced them to stay overnight with Gríðr, a meddling fool of a giantess who told Thor of Gierrö's hatred of him, ruining Loki's fun. (He wasn't surprised, though. He never is anymore.)  


Once they got there, all hell broke loose. Before he could partake in any of the action, Loki was knocked out by one of the daughters (he didn't get a good look at which one) and when he regained consciousness, they were back on Asgard, Gierrö's head resting in a sack over Thor's shoulder, Loki himself slung over his other one.  


Afterward Loki admitted that it wasn't his best plan, but he had to try. He _had_ to.  


At the sight of the Warriors Three approaching the courtyard Loki's amusement soured and he closed his book, suddenly wishing to find a _quieter_ spot to read. He dropped down from the branch, landing in a crouch and slinking into the trees, out of sight of the courtyard and unnoticed by the sparring duo and approaching party.  


"Ah, go easy on him lass, he was only having a bit of fun!" he heard Fandral exclaim, smile evident in his tone. He registered that Sif replied, tone still angry, but he was too far away to make out her words. Soon, all sound from the courtyard disappeared and he was surrounded by nothing except for the quiet rustling of the trees in the wind and the soft crunching of dirt under his feet.  


This was a path that few knew about. It led one through a maze of twists, turns and dead ends, the end destination impossible to reach unless one had been there previously. Loki suspected some kind of enchantment when, for years after hearing the story from their mother, he and Thor walked these paths hundreds of times and yet they still could not find the secret garden Frigga so revered.  


One day, after a young Thor and his friends had been particularly cruel to him, Loki followed a small bird as it hopped along the path, angry, self-hating thoughts plaguing his mind and distracting him from his steps. (Because what was the point? Of this; of _anything?_ )  


Before he knew it, he found himself on an unfamiliar branch of path. Uneasiness entered the pit of his stomach, but he continued to follow the little bird and the dirt path until his persistence paid off and he came upon a maze of impossibly tall green hedges, grown so close together that barely one person at a time could squeeze through.  


As he entered the maze, he recalled how he felt that first time, all those years ago - the wonder and elation at finally finding the elusive maze and garden that Frigga had spoke of so reverently.  


(He was so _proud_ , too; _he_ was the one that found the garden, not Thor. He finally had something all to himself, something that his oaf of a brother couldn't ruin with his lack of tact and short temper. Over the years, Thor had ruined nearly everything that Loki held dear - not all on purpose, of course; the poor fool was simply too strong and too dumb for his own good - but the dark-haired god swore to keep this one beautiful secret away from the whirlwind of destruction that was his brother, and he'd do this with his dying breath.)  


The round door to the garden opened under his touch - more confirmation that this place was, in fact, enchanted - and he soon found himself slipping out of his shoes and leaving them by the door, basking in the soothingly cool stone stairs under his feet as he climbed down, down, down. These stairs were ancient; the stone was uneven, cracked and worn from time and the elements. Ivy grew along the railings, twisting around and around the wooden handrails like a lover's embrace, the leaves a vibrant green and feather soft to the touch.  


The bottom of the stairs were marked by an archway made of two connecting trees on either side, their branches twisting together to form a curved roof that he nearly had to duck under to pass through. Sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves towering above his head, illuminating the wide variety of colors blossoming on the floor of the garden. The cobblestone path lead him through marigolds and foxgloves; azaleas and orchids; morning glories and forget-me-nots. Years of research and practice and he could name every flower that blossomed in this garden, and he rattled them off easily in his head as he passed them.  


He soon found what he was looking for - a beautiful courtyard in the middle of the garden, white cobblestone surrounding a tall, blooming cherry tree. The branches swayed gently on the breeze, pale pink petals littering the ground below. Directly underneath the tree lay a stone bench with a wooden seat - his favorite place in all the realms to sit and lose himself for hours in a book or two.  


As he sat on the bench, he leaned his head back and inhaled, quieting his mind. With every breath he took, he relaxed more and more, and the buzzing intensity of the thoughts rattling inside his head grew quieter and quieter until the inside of his mind was a tree without leaves.  


Almost as soon as he reached his ideal meditative state, he opened his eyes and was in his mindscape - which, incidentally, he long ago shaped to mimic his secret garden, the one he currently sat in, both physically and mentally. He stood from the bench and ran his fingers through the pale pink cherry blossoms, each one impossibly soft and containing an important memory for him to look over and relive whenever he chose.  


The garden was a nearly perfect muse for a mindscape, something that Loki realized the first time he discovered it. With the path being nearly impossible to find and the maze of tall hedges, anyone trying to infiltrate his mind would have a damn hard time finding what they were looking for with all his important memories stored here.  


Loki froze, his hand still entangled in the cherry blossoms. There, wrapped around the base of the tree was a shimmering silver cord, glittering and glowing in the sunlight. He knew enough about magic to know exactly what the cord represented and was pissed because who the hell had _bonded_ with him without his _knowledge?_  


He crouched down in front of it, elbows resting on his knees with finger tips steepled together and found that words simply escaped him, because suddenly everything made sense - the phantom pains he'd been experiencing, the random bouts of uncontrollable terror or crippling sadness. He hadn't even thought to check his mindscape to see if there was a connection there.  


_Stupid_ , he mentally berated himself, because _of course_ he was experiencing the symptoms of a fledgling bond and _of course_ he didn't recognize them for what they were.  


Reaching out a hand, Loki let it hover a few inches above the silver cord. Warmth radiated off of it and it preened and shivered, almost like it was waiting and eager for his touch. Taking a deep breath, Loki let his fingertips ghost over the cord, lightly skimming the surface.  


_**Darkness. Warmth. Power, humming just beneath the surface. Floating - no, drifting - aimlessly; carelessly.**_  


He yanked his hand off of the cord with a gasp, his vision coming back to him slowly. "What in the -"  


A low, feminine groan from behind him caused Loki to whip around and summon magic sparking between his fingertips, crouched in a defensive pose. He didn't recognize the girl - _woman_ , he corrected himself almost immediately - curled on the cobblestone floor, dark hair like spilled ink sprawled around her. She let out another groan as she languidly placed her palms on the ground, pushing herself into a seated position and yawning, rubbing a fist over her eyes.  


Loki had definitely seen stranger things, but none of them had ever involved a young (and beautiful, he thought quietly, the kind of beautiful that could start wars and move mountains) woman inside his mindscape before. Determining that she wasn't much of a threat, still sitting on the floor and blinking around her blearily, he banished the magic he'd conjured and tilted his head.  


"Have we met?"  


With a grace that was both startling and impressive in its speed, the woman pushed herself into a crouch defensively and all traces of sleep was gone from her (piercing, ethereal, nearly _glowing_ ) blue eyes. Eyes that were now trained directly on him, narrowed in suspicion.  


"Where am I?" she asked, voice husky from sleep but still smooth like wine cascading into a crystal goblet.  


"My mindscape," he answered easily; absently. "It seems that we've somehow become soul-bonded within the past 48 hours - though I find myself at a complete loss as to how it could have happened."  


Strong eyebrows pulled together and the tension in her shoulders loosened infinitesimally. "What's a mindscape? And what the hell is a soul bond?"  


Loki sighed. "So that explains where you're from, then," he said, talking to himself more than to the woman in front of him. "Only on Midgard would you not have heard of such things."  


Her head tilted slightly, silky dark curls spilling down her shoulders and nearly caressing the ground below her. "Midgard? I've heard that name before..."  


The silver-tongued god raised a brow. "I believe that you humans refer to it as 'Earth.'"  


Her own eyebrows, previously scrunched together in confusion, now raised halfway to her hairline. "We're not on _Earth?_ "  


"No. As I said before, you are in my mindscape. My physical body, however, is on Asgard, so technically we are too."  


Understanding crossed her features. "You're Asgardian?"  


Loki was confused; wasn't Asgard nothing more than myth and legend on Midgard? Instead of voicing this concern, however, he merely bowed low at the waist. "Indeed. Loki Odinson, at your service."  


She watched him warily for another moment or two before standing and offering him her hand. "Alexandra Stark." When Loki stared at her hand, unsure of what to do with it, a small, genuine smile lifted her lips (and Loki ignored the warmth her smile gave him, because it was _obviously_ due to the bond. _obviously_ ) and she took another step forward and grabbed his hand in hers, giving it a firm shake up and down. "On Midgard we shake hands when we meet new people."  


He knew his features showed his confusion because her eyes shone with amusement. " _Why?_ " he asked, completely baffled.  


She shrugged. "No idea. So, Loki Odinson of Asgard, can you please explain to me what mindscapes and soul bonds are?"  


Loki sighed, running a hand through his hair. Soul bonds were nearly impossible to break so he might as well fill her in and see if she had any clues as to how the hell this happened and how to go forward from here.  


 

She wasn't sure how long she was floating for - hours; days; _weeks?_ \- but all she knew was that she was warm and safe and comfortable, so she didn't really dwell on it for too long. _Couldn't_ dwell on it, really; every time she tried too hard to remember who and what she was, the thoughts were merely plucked out of her and sent somewhere far, far away; so deep into the darkness that it was as if they never existed in the first place, and she continued floating in a state of eternal numbness, too peaceful and warm to even really care.  


Then she finally felt something; a shiver, a feather's caress deep in her gut - and, what do you know, she had a gut! - which then turned into tugging, light but insistent. Each tug fell into rhythm with the beating of her heart (she had a heart, too? _wild_.) and soon she felt her body return to her and light grew behind her eyelids and she groaned, because going from a floating bit of consciousness to suddenly having a fully functioning body was _weird_ and she felt like her limbs each weighed around a ton.  


She let out another groan as she cracked her heavy eyelids open the slightest bit and the brightness nearly blinded her. She pulled her elbows in, placing her palms on the ground and pushing herself up, muscles screaming in protest. Her eyes watered as she blinked in the harsh sunlight, barely able to make out the white cobblestone underneath her and gorgeous, vibrant colors of the flowers that surrounded her.  


The voice was the equivalent of being doused with ice water; such a violent shock to her system that her heart leapt to her throat and she reacted on pure instinct, adrenaline replacing her fatigue and shooting awareness through her veins as she lifted herself to a defensive crouch, her narrowed eyes falling onto the person who startled her.  


He was definitely a stranger - at any point in her life, she would _definitely_ remember seeing such a pretty face. The secret part of her that nodded appreciatively at the green (green, green, _did she mention green?_ ) eyes and impossibly sculpted (she wasn't sure if she should be turned on or jealous at how _freaking perfect_ his cheekbones were, _seriously_ ) face, however, was buried underneath layers of fear and suspicion and _what the fuck is going on?_  


"Where am I?" Lex asked cautiously.  


"My mindscape," he said in a voice like molten silver, seemingly under the impression that she should know just what that meant. "It seems we've somehow become soul-bonded within the past 48 hours - though I find myself at a complete loss as to how it could have happened."  


_Soul-bonded._  


Soul-bonded.  


_Soul-bonded?_  


_Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this?_  


She didn't get an answer and the Primus-shaped hole in her heart throbbed painfully.  


  

Lex wasn't a _completely_ uncultured swine; her knowledge of Norse mythology was shaky at best, but she most certainly remembered a trickster god named Loki and his brother Thor, the god of thunder, and the ruler of their realm, Odin All-Father. She was positive that 

(She was also around ninety three percent sure that this was a dream, but it felt real so she was holding out on that theory for now.)  


So she sat with this beautiful stranger with an even stranger name under a gently swaying cherry tree that was apparently inside of his mindscape, whatever that meant, because _why the hell not?_  


Not knowing what to say, Lex kept silent, hoping that he would break the silence first.  


She wasn't disappointed, though it took around three minutes of awkward staring before he finally did.  


"A mindscape is a visual representation of one's mind," Loki explained. "It can be accessed through meditation and sometimes by someone else through force. It is malleable; flexible. For example," he gestured to the garden they sat in, "my mindscape reflects the garden that my physical form is currently in because I have strong emotional ties to it. The cherry tree is where my most important memories reside; each blossom is a memory, stored here for my convenience. Over time I've erected a multitude of defenses to protect them from anyone who would wish to enter this garden and search my memories."  


Lex blinked at the onslaught of information. It made sense, in a way, and how he explained it was easy to follow, but still - was this kind of stuff even _real?,/em >  
_

__

(She reminded herself, rather forcibly, that she'd been attacked by evil alien robots, shared mindspace with God, and became the vessel for an all-powerful, life-creating cube that had the potential to restore an entire, nearly-extinct alien race - all of this happening within a week. _Anything_ was possible at this point.)  


"Okay," she said slowly. "I think I understand. So we're inside your mind? And you can change what it looks like? And anyone who enters your mind will end up here?"  


Loki nodded, neither impressed nor unsatisfied with her summary. "Pretty much, yes. Soul bonds are a bit more complicated, however." He ran a hand through his hair again, and Lex's eyes followed the motion. Loki showed her the shimmering silver cord wrapped around the tree. "This is the manifestation of a soul bond. A silver cord tethering two souls to one another. I don't quite know the mechanics, but from my understanding, only two people with compatible souls may enter into a bond and once a bond has been activated not even death can break it. The bond links the two people, mind, body and soul, for the rest of eternity, in whatever form their souls take from then on."  


Lex's brow furrowed. "Like reincarnation?"  


"Exactly. Soul bonds are _rare_ , though, because the requirements are very, _very_ hard to fulfill. For starters, there is only one being in all this vastly expansive universe who with someone shares a compatible soul - compatible in this case meaning two literal halves of a whole soul. The odds of finding that one being is abysmal at best. The type of magic required to form a soul bond is _ancient_ , too, and the person must be exceptionally powerful in order to even attempt it. I know very few people capable of doing it, none of which I suspect had any part of this."  


Her head was swimming, and she felt like she may fall over. Loki seemed unfazed while talking about the fact that the two of them were _bound together_ , body, mind and soul, for-fucking- _ever_. He didn't even blink at the fact that this meant that their souls were connected even before the bond - that they were _meant_ to be together, in some way or another, that their souls were literally _made for each other_.  


What did all of this _mean?_ Who did this to her - to _them?_ Why _now_ , for Primus' sake? She just went through a _war_ ; just became the sole being responsible for an entire _freaking_ race of sentient alien robots, and now this?  


Tears welled in her eyes and her breaths were becoming short and panicked because it seemed more and more likely that her life was never going to belong to her ever again. She was doomed to spend a lifetime giving and giving more and more of herself to others until she was nothing but an empty shell, hollowed out by her own good intentions.  


Loki's hands were large and cool as they wrapped around hers. "Breathe, Alexandra," he said in a low, soothing voice.  


She knew the drill. His hands were grounding her, bringing her back to earth, and she tried to mimic his deep breaths until her vision cleared and the panic fled to somewhere deep inside her where it would wait for another opportune moment to strike.  


"I'm sorry," she said, finding herself unable to meet his eyes.  


His hands squeezed hers. "There’s no need to apologize,” he said. “This is a lot to take in, especially for someone who has no previous knowledge or experience in things like this.”  


“Yeah,” Lex said, bitterness tainting her words. “On top of all of the other shit I’ve had to deal with; this is almost tame in comparison.”  


Loki frowned, and she could almost see the thoughts as they formed behind his eyes. “I want to show each other our memories,” he said. “We’re bound together for an indefinite amount of time, and whether that means forever or the next few months until we find a way out of it, we should at least get to know each other and attempt to make this - if not a pleasurable experience, then at the very least one where we can be civil to each other.”  


Lex nodded. “I’d much rather be bound to someone I know and trust than a total stranger from a completely different realm than me.”  


Loki’s lips twitched upward the slightest bit. He changed his grip on her hands (which were still enfolded in his, Lex noticed, willing her face not to turn red at that fact) and stood, pulling her with him. “Going through my memories will be far… gentler than it will be when I go through yours,” he explained as he led her closer to the cherry tree, “since we’re already inside my mindscape. I’ve also spent years sorting through my memories, organizing them and making them easily accessible - to myself, at least, and anyone I choose to share them with.”  


He moved so that he was behind her, chest nearly pressing against her back. “Tell me if this is okay,” he murmured in her ear, and her shudder had nothing to do with the coolness of his skin when his arms came around her, gripping her wrists and lifting them so that her palms were flush against the bark of the tree. He paused, and she knew he was waiting for her consent.  


“This is okay,” she whispered. “A lot of times only people I trust implicitly can touch me like this, but…”  


“It’s the bond,” he explained. “Your soul recognizes mine and is telling you that you can trust me.”  


She turned her head so that her chin was resting on her shoulder, looking up at him through black lashes. “Can I? Trust you, that is.”  


Loki chuckled and moved closer, resting his head on the top of hers. She didn’t know where he began and she ended. The bond was nearly _purring_ inside of her, which normally would have weirded her out, but instead it was only adding to the heady feeling that his proximity and the small circles he was rubbing into her wrists gave.  


“Darling,” he said, and his voice was different somehow - smoother, more refined; polished like the silver blade of the assassin as he puts it through your heart. _Here there be dragons_ , Lex thought. The danger in his voice urged her to run and yet the humming warmth of the bond convinced her to stay. “There isn’t a being in all the nine realms and beyond who should trust me. However, you belong to me now just as much as I belong to you, and believe me when I say that I _always_ take care of what’s mine.”  


She didn’t know which way was up and which was down - only that she was hanging onto a cliff by her fingernails. He was somewhere down below, forever waiting, always watching, and she knew that if she let herself fall then the stars would rattle and entire universes would tremble and bow before them, because she was Lex and he was Loki - and though she didn’t know quite yet just what that meant, she knew in her bones that together they would burn so brightly that they would forever leave their mark imprinted on the very fabric of space and time.  


It was a good thing Lex wasn’t afraid of heights because before she knew it she found herself falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends! Holy heck, this chapter is the longest one I've written. Dang. Took forever, too. I was going to make it a bit longer but decided that here was a good place to cut it off. Also sorry for not updating sooner, Loki was giving me a bit of trouble.
> 
> Anyways! Thanks for reading and let me know how you liked this chapter!
> 
>  **ALSO!** I have a question for you all. Who's your favorite character so far in the story? Why do you like them? Who's your least favorite character in the story? What do you not like about them? I WANT YOUR GUYS' OPINIONS OKAY
> 
> Again, thanks for reading, I love you all and I'll see you next week ~
> 
> \- M


End file.
